Raja parva celebration by ODIA WELFARE ASSOCIATION
Raja or Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti is a three-day-long festival and the second day signifies beginning of the solar month of Mithuna from, which the season of rains starts. Mythology It is believed that the mother Goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord Vishnu undergoes menstruation during the first three days. Raja Parba, a three-day festival in Odisha, is a celebration of menstruation and womanhood. It is based on the belief that Mother Earth menstruates for those three days and she is given a ceremonial bath on the fourth day. For those three days, no agricultural activity like ploughing or sowing takes place as Mother Earth is expected to be going through rejuvenation.
The festival, which started as a tribal practice, has now spread to all parts of Odisha. Though it has undergone a lot of changes over time, it still revolves around respecting and celebrating women.
