In Oriya culture Raja is the festival of beginning of a working year. Just when the summer is bidding goodbye and rainy season is preparing to disembark.

Raja, is an agriculture-oriented festival, mostly observed in the coastal districts of Orissa for three days. The last day of month "Jestha" is known as "Pahili Raja" and the first day of month "Asadha" is Raja Sankranti (Mithuna Sankranti) from which rainy season starts.

It also inaugurates the agricultural year all over Orissa which marks the moistening of summer parched soil with the first shower of monsoon making it ready for productivity.

The second day of "Asadha" is known as "Bhuin Dahana". To celebrate the advent of monsoon the joyous festival is arranged for three days. Even in some places of Orissa the fourth day of Raja festival is also celebrated in the name of "Basumata Puja".

The best part of this festival is, we set number of Doli (swing) we fell we touch the sky in these three days. The swings are of different varieties, such as Ram Doli, Charki Doli, Pata Doli, Dandi Doli etc. Says Ranjeeta Swain.

Special varieties of cake are prepared out of ingredients like rice-powder, molasses, coconut, camphor; ghee etc goes in the name of Podapitha (burnt-cake). Cakes are also exchanged among relatives and friends. Young girls do not take rice during this festival.

Raja is a festival of entertainment, excitement and enjoyment. This is the festival when every Oriya people are busy with marketing or preparing verity of cakes & sweet dishes. In twin city people are also never want to miss such festival.

Raja is also best time for Oriya films Industry. To cash on the festive atmosphere all around, some high budget films hits silver screen on this occasion. films like "Pagala Premi" and Mu tote Love Karuchi" booked all most all cenema halls.

According to models turns actor Montu, "Raja is one of the occasions when people are in a relax and holiday mood, so watching Oriya movie is the best media to enjoy this festival". Lot of Oriya albums audio cassettes are also released in this eve.

It is also boom time for business houses. To cash on the festive atmosphere they offers discounts to draw the attention of some new customer to increase their sales. Exhibition like Super Bazar near Sahid Nagar, Super Market near Naya Pali and Disy land at Baliyatra ground attract large number of customer.

Alok Manjumdar, a shop owner in this exhibition, says "we prepared some special dresses for this festival".

Not only the garment business goes up, it brings all reason for beauty palour & cosmetic shops owner to cheer. "In Orissa after wedding, Raja is the only festival when young girls love to look more beautiful and regularly visit the parlour in large number " says Ritu Gupta a beautician near R.D. Womens College.

Raja is not only a festival for girls, it is quite important festival for the boys as well. During three days all agricultural activities remain suspended and a joyous atmosphere pervades, the young men of the village keep themselves busy in various types of country games, the most favourite being kabadi.

Plays and other kinds of entertainment are also arranged by enthusiastic amateurs. In Cuttack "Double bray Card competition" is being organized in the Raja time. After dasahara and Kalipuja such type's competitions create brotherhood among the Cuttack people. More then 150 members from different colony (bazar) participate in this competition, says Bikash Dash a organiser.

(Source Odishatoday.com)