STRAP: Pana Sankranti celebrations in the state mark the beginning of Hindu New Year. A special drink ‘Pana’ is offered to the Gods and relished by devotees on the occasion
BHUBANESWAR: City folks are gearing up to celebrate Pana Sankranti which falls on the beginning of Hindu New Year here Sunday.
The Sun transits to ‘Mesha Rashi’ (Aries constellation) over ‘Visubha Rekha’ (Equator) on this day. It announces the solar month of ‘Mesha’ as per the Hindu calendar. Hence, the day is also known as Mesha Sankranti, Meru Sankranti and Maha Vishubha Sankranti.
Pana Sankranti is celebrated in Odisha on the last day of Chaitra month (14/15th April). It’s similar to Baisakhi or Bihu festivals celebrated in other states of India. The main attraction of the occasion is ‘Pana’, a juice made of ‘Bael’ (stone apple) mixed with cottage cheese, banana and curd along with sugar or jaggery and ground pepper.
On the occasion, the birthday of Lord Hanuman is celebrated and a special puja of Tulsi Chaura (a plant symbolising Goddess Tulsi/Vrinda) is performed where a ‘Pani Theki’ (a water pot is pierced from the inside and placed on three bamboo sticks) is placed over the plant to keep Goddess Tulsi cool on this fire-breathing Sankranti.
At first, the Pana is offered as ‘Prasad’ to the deities at home and later served to the head of the family as a mark of respect. Later, everyone enjoy the drink. A special folk dance ‘Danda Nacha’ is dedicated to Goddess Kali on the occasion. People believe that participating in the dance would nullify their sins and usher peace and happiness in their lives.
The dance is conducted for 13 days. The concluding day is celebrated as Meru/Pana Sankranti in Odisha. The participants undergo rigorous training in these days and become vegetarians. They avoid eating meat, fish, onion and garlic and accept only vegetarian food during this period. They even walk barefoot on burning coal. However, their strong will power prevents any injury in the process.
The folk dance is mostly practised in S Odisha and is a tribal way of welcoming the New Year which begins with the month of Vaishakh. It happens to be one amongst the most ancient form of histrionic arts of the state. The opening ritual of Danda nacha begins in the middle of Chaitra (March–April).
On this day, religious people get up early in the morning and take sankranti buda (bath) in nearby rivers/ponds. Standing in knee deep water they worship Surya reciting Gayatri mantra. Some perform homa (worship before fire). They spend the day visiting temples. Many keep upabasha (fast) while others simply take vegetarian food.
