Bhubaneswar: Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima is a festival that celebrates the bond of love and trust between a brother and sister. It symbolises the love and good wishes of a sister for the well-being of her brother and the life-long vow of a brother to protect his sister from all evils.
In the City, people and groups celebrated the day in different ways. When parents of some children are serving jail terms across Odisha, the shelter home at the capital city is taking care of the upbringing of their children.
The inmates of Madhura Mayee Adarsh Sikshya Niketan here celebrated the festival with the All Odisha Kinnar and Transgender Association wholeheartedly celebrated ‘rakhi’ and made the children’s day.
All Odisha Kinnar and Transgender Association president Menaka said, “This is not for the first time we’ve come here. We’re very glad to visit this place and are very happy to see these kids happy. They are staying here away from their parents. We do not want them to feel lonely on the auspicious occasion of universal brotherhood.”
One of the girls said, “We’ve received so much love and affection that it doesn’t feel like we are alone, I cannot feel like my parents are in the jail. I tied rakhi and made a lot of brothers here. I feel at home here”.
At Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s residence, Naveen Nivas, too the mood was celebratory.
Children and women of various age groups from across the state thronged the house to tie rakhi on his wrist. The show started in the morning with little girls queueing up and waiting for their turn.
The Chief Minister was equally happy and enthusiasticflaunting the many rachis. He reciprocated the love of children and wished them a bright, successful and healthy future.
“I wish all the people of Odisha a very happy and prosperous festival of Rakhi,” the Chief Minister said.
A 12-year-old girl from Bhubaneswar, overwhelmed after tying Rakhi to the CM said, “it was a dream come true to meet our Chief Minister. He was very happy after I tied the Rakhi and he blessed me.” The Lords of Jagannath Temple also celebrated the sibling bond and follow the ritual of tying the sacred thread.
According to tradition, Patara Bisoi servitors prepare ‘Pata Rakhi’ which Devi Subhadra ties to Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath. It is blue and purple rakhi for the older sibling and red and yellow for the younger one. The Lords are also offered ‘Guamala’ (garland of areca nuts).
The temple administration provides ‘Basunga Pata’ cloth to the servitors for preparing the rakhis. They cut the coloured cloth and sew them in concentric circles one atop another with the lowest disc being the largest. The preparations, along with that of 54 areca nuts necklaces, begins from Chitalagi Amabasya.
The Raksha Bandhan in Odisha is known as Gamha Purnima. According to the Purana Sastra, Lord Balabhadra, who is considered the lord of farmers, was born on this day. All rituals concerning Him are conducted in the temple.
After the ritual of ‘Madhyana Dhupa’, ‘Bije Niti’ of Lord Balabhadra, Madana Mohana, Bhu Devi and Shri Devi are held at Jhulana Mandap in the temple.
“On Raksha Bandhan, a sister ties Rakhi, the thread of protection, on her brother. Devi Subhadra also ties Rakhi to Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra. The Rakhi, made by the Patara community, for Lord Jagannatha is the biggest in the world,” said Shri Jagannatha Sanskruti researcher Suryanarayan Rathasharma.
He also informed about Shadha Jayanti ritual commemorating the birth ceremony of Lord Balabhadra. The day also witnesses ‘Maha Snana’, ‘Sarbanga Chandana Lagi’, ‘Nutana Vastra Paridhana’ and ‘Sashti Markandi puja’.
It is also celebrated as an agricultural festival and rakhis are tied to cattle, too.
In another event Rakhya Bandhan was celebrated by Odisha State Bharat Scouts and Guides members at its unit III premises. They tied rakhis to the traffic police personnel.
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