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Puspuni- The Food Festival of Western Odisha


Puspuni is written as ପୁସପୁନି or ପୁଷପୁନୀ in Odia script, an annual festival of the western and southern part of Odisha celebrated to offer the newly harvested paddy near the God. The word Puspuni is a combination of two words Pus which means Pausha (Odia: ପୌଷ), the 9th month of Odia calendar and Puni means Purnima, the full moon day.

So, the festival is celebrated on the Pausha Purnima that is, on the full moon day of Pusha month. According to the Georgian calendar, this festival is celebrated in the month of December or January every year.


People of Western Odisha, irrespective of their economic occupation feast, song, and dance, and rejoice in giving away on this day.

How it is celebrated?

On the full moon day of the month of Pausha, they cook rice, tasty dishes (Chha 'Tun Na' Bhajaa), especially goat meat, along with rice pudding and cakes. The family dines together and makes marry. They share their dishes and cakes with other families and friends.

More Facts

In Bargarh town, this festival is celebrated by a day delay due to the Dhunujatra. Pausha Purnima is the last day of Dhanu Jatra, the mythological drama held in Bargarh town which is the biggest open-air theater of the world. At the end of this drama, the Mythological king Kansa dies and after that people celebrate this festival.

Pausha Khechudi

At this festival, in some places, people also make one type of prasad named Pausha Khechudi to offer God. People use to prepare this from newly harvested things like Rice and different types of dals.

Photo: Manaswini

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