Kartika Purnima or କାର୍ତ୍ତିକ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା is a Hindu, Sikh, and Jain cultural festival celebrated on the Purnima (the full moon day) or the fifteenth lunar day of Kartik (November–December according to Georgian calendar). It is also known as Tripuri Purnima and Tripurari Purnima in different places.
In Odisha, this festival is known as Danga Bhasa Purnima, where the people of Odisha floats tiny tiny boats on River, Sea, Pond, etc which is known as Boita Bandana in Odia. It is sometimes called Deva-Diwali or Deva-Deepawali, the festival of lights of the gods. Karthikai Deepam is a related festival celebrated in South India and Sri Lanka on a different date.
We have collected all these photos from Odia people, so the ritual of this festival is based on Odia culture. In those glorious time, Odia merchants (Odia: ସାଧବମାନେ) were going to different island like Bali, Java, Sumatra by sailing boats which are popularly known as Boita (Odia: ବୋଇତ) for business purpose.
In these days, the merchants are not going in such purposes through those boats, but still, we are celebrating this festival to remember those days, to enlightening that glorious period of Odisha's Maritime History.
Since the Merchants were going through the sea, before their leaving, their female family members used to worship the boat or Boita there. And from Odisha, Mahanadi is the best place for the merchants to go through the sea, so the Balijatra is organizing at Gadagadia Ghata, Cuttack. Here Balijatra is the combination of two different words 'Bali' and 'Jatra' where Bali means Bali Island of Indonesia and Jatra or Yatra means to travel to Bali.
In these days, the merchants are not going in such purposes through those boats, but still, we are celebrating this festival to remember those days, to enlightening that glorious period of Odisha's Maritime History.
Since the Merchants were going through the sea, before their leaving, their female family members used to worship the boat or Boita there. And from Odisha, Mahanadi is the best place for the merchants to go through the sea, so the Balijatra is organizing at Gadagadia Ghata, Cuttack. Here Balijatra is the combination of two different words 'Bali' and 'Jatra' where Bali means Bali Island of Indonesia and Jatra or Yatra means to travel to Bali.
(Photo: Parsuram Sahoo)
(Photo: Ashok Mishra)
(Photo: Dr. Biswa Kar)
(Photo: Prabir Sahoo)
(Photo: Rashmi Ranjan Sahoo)
(Photo: Satrujit Singh)
(Photo: Taranisen Pattnaik)
(Photo: Rajashree Sahoo)
(Photo: Abhimanyu Sahoo)
(Photo: Lalatendu Samal)
* All these photographs are taken by Dr. Biswa Kar, Dr. Rashmi Ranjan Sahoo, Rajashree Sahoo, Taranisen Pattnaik, Ashok Mishra, Satrujit Singh, Prabir Sahoo, Abhimanyu Sahoo, Parsuram Sahoo and Lalatendu Samal.
2 Comments
very goods portrayal of pictures and elaboration GapuBabu. Keep the spirit high, you are always best at keeping as a bodyguard of our culture.
ReplyDeleteThank You Sir
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