Bhubaneswar: The Raja Parba of Odisha is one of the most popular festivals in the state. Raja is a four-day-long festival dedicated to Mother Earth (Bhuma Devi) and womanhood at large.
The first day is Sajabaja, the day when girls decorate hands and feet with Alta or Mehendi and get ready for the four-day-long carnival.
Primarily, it is a time for unmarried girls to prepare for their matrimony. They follow various customs related to the festival by consuming nutritious food like Podapitha, not walking barefoot, taking a bath on the first day, and merrily swinging on ropes attached to a tree.
The excitement and happiness do not stop but snowball into a huge joyous celebration in every Odia family home across the globe. Four days of unlimited joy and fun are all about Raja and sajabaja !!
