Celebration of “RAJA”: A Cultural Festival for the Community

Celebration of RAJA: A Cultural Festival for the Community

The "Raja Festival," also known as "Raja Parba / Utsav," is a unique three-day festival in Odisha that celebrates womanhood, fertility, and the arrival of the monsoon season, while also honoring Mother Earth. It's a time for women to rest and rejuvenate, mirroring the Earth's own cycle. The festival is marked by various cultural and traditional practices, including feasting, games, and elaborate decorations.

On June 14, the YMCA Cuttack organized various activities for the occasion:

A drawing competition was held in the 1^st hour for school students in 2 groups i.e. junior group for classes 5 and below and senior group for classes 6 to 10. Sixty-four (64) participants participated in the drawing competitions. A jury panel comprising of 3 judges adjudged 3 winners from each group.

Pitha (rice cakes) and rangoli competitions were held during evening for women and girls respectively. Another jury panel comprising 3 judges adjudged 3 winners of pitha competition and 3 winners of rangoli competition. 15 women and 14 girls participated in pitha and rangoli competitions, respectively. RAJA paan and RAJA swing were made available for all the attendees to enjoy during the celebration. A group of women entrepreneurs who earn their livelihood through making “pitha” were supported by providing a kiosk at the premises of YMCA Cuttack to sell a wide variety of RAJA pithas for the public. Visitors enjoyed pitha delicacies and purchased them for their family members to enjoy during RAJA Festival. Prizes for the winners of junior and senior groups of drawing competition and for the winners of pitha and rangoli competitions were distributed by the jury members while the jury members were felicitated by Mr. Sudhananda Bihari, Board of Director of YMCA Cuttack and Er. Alok Kumar Sahu, Secretary of YMCA Cuttack. The Prize Distribution Ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Er. Alok Kumar Sahu, Secretary of YMCA Cuttack.

Participants of diverse faith background along with their family members participated in various competitions showcasing their talents. Their gathering also created and portrayed social harmony and inclusivity.

Women were encouraged to involve themselves in various activities and creating awareness among them about their importance in the society, their social responsibility, to realize and discover their potential to earn better livelihood for their family resulting in their self-sustenance. People getting together in a common platform during festivals builds-up communal and social harmony.

Celebration of cultural festivals and knowing their values, importance and benefits in communal or social harmony has become a social responsibility in the present era. The competitions held, encourages participants to discover their own skills and talents. It also builds up their self-confidence and harmony amongst themselves.

Er. Alok Kumar Sahu, Secretary, In-charge O/o General Secretary, YMCA Cuttack