Important Festivals of Odisha
Odisha Festivals:
India is the land of festivals; every festival celebrates with great Spirit, vibrant culture, and rich customs. 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. Some of the famous festivals are narrated below…
Durga Pooja
The Odisha people celebrated Durga Puja with great enthusiasm. The festival falls in the month of Ashwin or Kartik. This festival celebrates 3 to 4 days; people decorate the streets with lights and arrange 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 Bajanas to enrich the celebrations at 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 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. They were so celebrating Kalinga Mahotsav’s significant the,e 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 is celebrated every year on the 10 and 11 of January.
Chandan Yatra
This is a 42-day-long celebrating festival at Jaganatha Temple at Puri. Chandan Yatra is also famous as Gandhanalapana Yatra. At Jaganatha Temple, the priests worship the deities with sandal-mixed water. The traditional white and red coloured boats were decorated beautifully and kept the gods in the ships for the holy patron in the water. These celebrations are also held in other Vishnu and Shiva temples. Thousands of pilgrimages attended these celebrations. 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 was organizing this festival. Many pilgrims from all over the world attend this festival celebration. The festival celebrations are held from 1st December to 5th December.
Mahabisuva Sankranti
This festival is celebrated in April in the significance of 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. People visited Goddess Devi’s temples and prayed for the prosperity of their future. The festival is celebrated every year on the 14th and 15th of April. The farmers do simple work in the fields.