Festivals of Odisha Culminate the Spiritual Unity
Festivals of Odisha:
India is the land of festivals; festivals are significant and celebrated with great spirit. Odisha has a rich tradition and culture. The famous Kalinga war happened on this land and caused Ashoka, a great follower of Buddhism. Such spirituality flows throughout Odisha state. The same spirit made the people celebrate various festivals with the utmost respect.
Durga Puja:
The Odisha people celebrated Durga Puja with great enthusiasm. The festival falls in the month of Ashwin or Kartik. The people decorated the streets with lights and arranged pandals on the roads. Later, the Idols of Goddess Durga Maa, Goddess Saraswati, and Goddess Lakshmi Devi culminate in the Pandals. In the morning and evening, the priest chants the mantras and offers them the artist. The devotees sing the bhajans to enrich the celebrations at their peak. This festival brought great spirit among the people of Odisha.
Kalinga Mahotsav:
Once, the present, Odisha was famous as Kalinga. Kalinga had great significance in Indian history. The land witnessed the famous Kalinga war, which caused many brutal murders under Maurya king Ashoka the great. The same land was the cause to change the entire attitude of Ashoka towards the war. He trusted in peace and decided to live in peace and non-violence. This thought led him to follow Buddhism. So celebrating Kalinga Mahotsav signifies the victory of peace over war. During the festival celebrations at Dhauli Shanti Stupa, the martial artists perform the ancient martial arts belonging to Mauryan Dynasty. This martial arts performance attracts people from all over India. Generally, the festival celebrates every year on the 10 and 11 of January.
Chandan Yatra:
This is a 42-day-long celebrating festival at the Jaganatha temple at Puri. Chandan yatra is also famous as Gandhanalapana Yatra. At Jaganatha temple, the priests worship the deities with sandal-mixed water. ‘Chapa’, the traditional white and red coloured boats decorated beautifully. Later, the gods brought the temple for the holy patron into the water on the ships. This celebration is also held in other Vishnu and Shiva temples. Thousands of pilgrimages attend this celebration. Generally, the festival occurs in April or May.
Konark Dance Festival:
This festival is celebrated at Konark Temple, purely dedicated to Sun God. This festival is the symbol of Unity in diversity. The famous artists perform the Odissi dance to pay tribute to the beautiful Sun Temple. Odisha dance academy organizes this festival every year. Many pilgrims from all over the world attend this festival celebration. The festival is held from 1st December to 5th December.
Mahabisura Sankranti:
This festival is celebrated in April in the significance of the new year as per the Odisha calendar. The festival is also famous as Pana Sankranti. This is a harvest festival; the devotees worship Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and other Gods on this day. The devotees visited Goddess Devi’s temples and prayed for the prosperity of their future. Generally, the festival is celebrated every year on the 14th and 15th of April. The farmers do simple work in the fields.