#thread on #RajaParba, an unique three day festival of #Odisha that celebrates the feminine menstrual cycle. This year’s Raja Parba starts today. @odisha_tourism. @pramila_mallick @PandaJay @Naveen_Odisha. Please RT. Pic is of sand art by @sudarsansand on #rajaparba
Woke feminists will often tell you that Hindu dharma oppresses women. They will also tell you menstruation is considered to be ‘impure’. Nothing can be considered further from the truth.
All states in India have their own way to include and honour menstruation. #RajaParba
The beautiful state of #Odisha has a 3 day festival called Raja Parba that starts from today. The word ‘Raja’ comes from 'Rajaswala' which means a menstruating woman in Sanskrit & Parba means festival in Odia.
Raja Parba is Odisha’s way of celebrating womanhood.
#RajaParba commemorates the menstruation of Bhudevi or Mother Earth. It is believed that just before the onset of monsoons, Mother Earth menstruates and gets ready to produce new life in the form of a new sowing cycle. It is also a metaphor for the feminine menstrual cycle.
The preparation for #RajaParba starts a day before the festival. This day is known as Saja Baja, and used by the women of the house hold to apply Alta to their feet, to get new clothes and to prepare for the festival.
The first day of the festival is known as Pahili Raja (First Raja), second day is known as 'Raja Sankranti' and the final day is known as 'Basumati Snana', the ritual bathing of Mother Earth.
During these 3 days, women and girls take a complete break from all household chores.
Women and girl SC gather together to play a varieties of games, sing songs and swing from decorated swings. Different kind of pithas or traditional cakes are prepared in advance for the girls to enjoy. Various types of pithas like Phoda Pitha, Chakuli etc are made.
#RajaParba is a hugely popular festival in Odisha. It is believed that on the day of the Basumati Snana, Odisha will receive good showers of rain, cooling down the parched Mother Earth. A stone grinder (silapua) is worshipped as the symbol of Bhudevi on this day with flowers.
Women and girls, not girls SC. That was a typo
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