Kartika Purnima on Wednesday
The last five days of the month of Kartika are called Panchaka and the last day – “Kartika Purnima”- is considered most sacred. It is believed that those who take a holy dip in the sea or rivers and visit the temple early in the morning on this day get absolution from their sins. Kartik Purnima 2012 date is 28th November.
The Full Moon Day or 15th Day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) of the Kartika month is considered as Karitk Purnima. During this month all the pious Hindus refrain themselves from eating fish, meat and egg. All of them take pre-dawn bath and visit temples as a matter of routine habit. The last five days are considered more sacred, in which there is wide participation of devotees. Taken together the days are called ‘Panchuka’ (a period consisting of five days) and the last day being the “Kartika Purnima”. Every day they take food only once in the afternoon which is known as ‘Habisha’.
Another festival that takes place in the morning is significant to the ancient history of Orissa. This reminds the maritime glory of the State. In olden days the ‘Sadhabas’ (Sea traders) used to sail off to distant islands like Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Ceylon etc. for their trade by huge boats (Boita). The women of the community were giving them a hearty send off on this day. The days are now gone, but the memory is still alive. Now, people float tiny boats made out of cork and coloured paper or bark of the banyan tree while reminiscing the past glory. This is called “Boita Bandana”.
Now in modern times, devotees float hundred of tiny beautifully decorated boats to mark the occasion. The boats are prepared out of cork and coloured papers, barks of the banyan tree, matchboxes, ice cream sticks and decorated with beautiful laces and flowers. Children now want stylish boats to float which stand out and are easily notice. Parents indulge them and don’t mind paying a little extra for these fancy boats.
In the city of Cuttack and some other places huge images of “Kartikeswar” are built and worshipped. At night they are taken out in procession and are immersed in the river Mahanadi, near a Shiva temple. Exactly at this place a big fair known as “Bali Yatra” is held for about three-four days. The name of the festival has two significances. Some are of opinion that on this day the Sadhabas were sailing off to Bali and therefore, the name. Some others believe that ‘Sri Chaitanya’ the great Vaishnavite saint of Bengal on his way to Puri landed on this day at Cuttack after crossing the sand-bed (Sand is ‘Bali’) of the river Mahanadi.
Thousands of People congregate at the fairground where innumerable varieties of goods are bought and sold. People also enjoy boating with friends and family in the moonlit night.
