Reported by Insha Zarine Sayeed and Kanhu Charan Gouda
Bhubaneswar, June 15: The joy of swinging marks the specialty of the most celebrated festival of Odisha, Rajo. For which, well ahead of the Raja, Odiya people start preparing swings and compete among themselves how to make it best. Also, in some of the areas, people used to organise multiple swings to accommodate girls and women of the entire village. They celebrate this auspicious festival collectively swinging throughout the day. But unfortunately this tradition could not be maintained by the people staying in the city due to their hour-long busy schedules and time constraints which made them forget the actual essence of the festival. Moreover, due to the absence of open grounds and Mango trees, the city people started celebrating the festival at home within a confined state. Hence, slowly the festival started losing importance especially among the young generation.
But, to keep the on-going tradition alive among the city residents especially the youngsters, various associations and committees organize the festival under one roof attracting large masses not only from nearby locality but also from the whole city as this is the oldest tradition of Odisha. It develops better understanding among the people and also makes the celebration more enjoyable. One such committee is the Maharaja Cricket Association, which from the last five years in association with Masoom School organizes Rajo festival on an open ground at Patra Pada arranging swings in large number and thus urging people from the local localities as well as from across the state to come together and enjoy the celebrations with pomp and gaiety.
The main aim of this arrangement is to relive the thought of living together forgetting all societal differences and experiencing joys of brotherhood. The three-day long festival is witnessed by families and friends with various events being performed by various well-known artists of the state. Hundreds of families come at least once to this place of celebration during the 3-day celebration. The vice-president of MCA, Gopal Chandra Nayak said to Report Odisha, “Since five years, this being the 6th year we celebrate the festival on a much hyped form where we arrange at least hundreds of swings under the trees where all the local residents as well as people from other parts of the city come together and have fun all these three days forgetting all their tensions and worries. Here, families, friends and near and dear ones gather at one single place to enjoy the festival with full excitement and vibrant colors.”
Rina Rani Sahoo and her family have come over to attend this beautiful event, all the way from Mumbai. Expressing her happiness over this, she said to Report Odisha, “I had only heard about this event being celebrated with such pomp and gaiety but this year I got the opportunity to come over to my hometown to enjoy the festival in a true manner.” “I am enjoying myself a lot today with my friends and this festival is my favorite festival being celebrated and I keep swinging the whole day here” said a school student, Sarodini Sahoo studying in Bibekananda Sikhya Kendra School
Yesterday, it began in the morning having a mass crowd comprising of people of all generations enjoying at the festival with their hearts out. The evening started off with various competitions in sports especially with a purely traditional sport for the girls, ‘Puchi’ along with skipping and swinging competitions. The event also witnessed a musical event by the famous Singer from the Odia Film Industry, Shri Pranab Kishore Patnaik. The limelight of this festival goes to the ‘Paan’ having a flavor of 121 Masalas which is unavailable in all parts of Odisha. The celebrations will continue for more two days with various events being performed and arranged.
