Kalinga Mahotsava: Kalinga (major part of present Indian state of Odisha (Orissa)) once witnessed the bloodiest battles in the history of India by the Emperor Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty. He became a changed man from this place as he realized the hollowness of his victory. A buddhiest monk named Upagupta help him to enlighten peace over sword.
Kalinga Mahotsav or the National Festival of Martial Dance is celebrated to pay tribute to the Kalinga. It shows the vibrant traditions of martial art of India through dance and music. It is in the essence to mark the victory of peace over war. It took place on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar at Dhauli Shanti Stupa on the 10th and 11th of January this year. This Mahotsav attracts Martial artists from all over India.
At this Festival in Odisha (Orissa) you can see live performance of artists from different arts of India like Chhow and Paika from Odisha (Orissa), Kalaripayattu from Kerela, Thang Ta from Manipur. In this Mahotsav artists shows their skills with sticks, swords and various acrobatics concentrating their mind and body.
The main motive of Kalinga Mahotsav is to harmonize the vitality of martial tradition with sublimity of peace through the art of dance. So be a part of this festival.
The celebrated Ratha Yatra Festival is said to have started in the time of Svarochisha Manu of the second manvantara and is predicted to continue until the end of the second half of Lord Brahma's lifetime. Even in the Valmiki Ramayana, it is mentioned that when Lord Rama was getting ready to leave this world, he told Vibhishan, Ravana's younger brother, to worship Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Iksvaku dynasty in His absence.
The Skanda Purana also fixes the date of the Ratha Yatra as the second day of the bright fortnight if the month of Ashadha, a day called Pushyami Nakshatra by astrological calculations. The Padma Purana describes that in Purushottama-Kshetra, or Jagannatha Puri, the supremely blissful Personality of Godhead pretends to be made of wood. In this way, although the Lord takes on what appears to be a material form, it is completely spiritual by the causeless mercy of the Lord for the conditioned souls who cannot perceive the transcendental domain of His.
On the day of the festival, the wooden idols of Krishna, Balrama and Subhadra are taken out in procession in three chariots to their summer temple for a week. The main chariot is 14 meters high and 10 meters square with 16 wheels. The actual construction of the carts begins two months before the festival day, on the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha (April-May).
More than 600 trees, or 400 cubic meters of wood, are needed for the construction, taken from the local forests, along the banks of the Mahanadi River. Using the same simple tools and procedures as they have for the past hundreds of years, once the basic elements are made, such as the wheels, the actual construction begins only a few weeks before the festival.
The ropes of the huge chariots are pulled by millions of devotees. In the ancient times, devotees would occasionally throw themselves in front of the chariot of Sri Jagananath, for it was believed that to be crushed to death under its sixteen wheels was to go straight to heaven.
Since Sri Jagannath is a form of Vishnu and Sri Krishna, many of the rituals observed in Puri temple are associated with events in the life of Sri Krishna. Thus, this annual Car Festival represents Sri Krishna's Journey from Gokul to Mathura.
The clay idol of the goddess is decorated with immaculate decorative pieces, tiny lights and beautiful flowers. The goddess sitting on a lion is shown killing the 'Buffalo Demon'- Mahishasura accompanied by her two sons, Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya, and two daughters Goddess Laxmi and Saraswati presents a really powerful picture standing true to its synonym 'Goddess of Power.' The arti ceremony that takes place early every morning and evening is a grand affair where the praises of the goddess are sung describing her gumption and valor. The sweet fragrance of incense adds to the charm.
And Odisha (Orissa) being a Hindu state also observes this festival with a great pomp and show. Though Durga Puja is celebrated in the month of October, celebrations start weeks ahead. The entire state strikes a different chord altogether echoing the music of bonhomie, brotherhood and festivity.
The ceremony continues for three days with the immersion ceremony following on the fourth day. The images are taken in a huge procession to the nearest river or tank and are immersed there with loud music being played in the background. Youth bows down to the elders after this to seek blessings and be blessed with power like the goddess.
Durga Puja is a special time for women who look forward to this auspicious occasion to buy clothes for themselves and their family. They express their joy by partaking in the Sindoor Utsav where the married ladies smear the parting of the goddess's hair with vermilion and again smear each other's hair parting with vermilions.
Girls adorn the floor with alpana designs that are made with rice flour paste. They see this autumn festival as the annual home coming of Durga, the married daughter returning home to her parents from her husband's house for a period of four days.
Sheer joy, mad ecstasy and wondrous celebrations remain the mood of the day as during this period the spirit transports one's soul into utter delight. It is because Durga Puja is much more than a religious festival.
Similar to human beings, the Hindu deities, who are modeled on human behavior pattern only, are also treated the same way. During the Chandan Yatra, they are taken out of the temples in procession for a holy patrol in water on floats or boats. It is because of the belief that all the ceremonies of the land must be culminated with an aquatic sojourn for a deity. The floats or boats of the deities are very richly decorated and are called 'Chapa'. In most of the Vishnu and Shiva temples, the 'float' festival marks the conclusion of the prime annual festival and is therefore celebrated with a great pomp and show.
Thousands of pilgrims flock the land of Lord Jagannath for this festival. During the festival, the road from the Lord's shrine till Narendra Sarobar (a sacred tank in Puri town) is decorated very beautifully. Arches or big torans are erected in front of monasteries and at cross-roads, as the idols take casual rest here and receive offerings.
Devotees take decorated representative images of Lord Jagannath, Laxmi and Saraswati to the Narendra Sarobar at night in richly decorated palanquins. They are accompanied by priests, musicians and dancers. A number of devotees wait for the arrival of the Lord. Upon arrival, the idols are placed on the decorated boats. These boats are rowed then for a long time by the sevakas. Temple dancers dance and sing on the boat during the rowing.
The boats are generally red and white in color and are so designed that they resemble huge swans floating on water. The most peculiar thing about this ceremony is that Madanmohana with Laxmi and Saraswati rides on the white colored raft where-as Ramakrishna with pancha Shivas rides the red one. The deities continue taking boat rides till early morning and then retire to their respective shrines. This procedure is followed during the entire festival. Bhaunri is the last day of the festival. Special arrangements are made for this.
This tradition is followed in some other parts of the state as well. Images of gods are taken out in procession on palanquins to the nearby tanks and perambulated in water on boats. After the ceremony which usually takes place at mid-night, people enjoy performances of dance, drama and music specially arranged for this occasion. But in all the temples outside Puri, this fest is observed only for the last three days.
At Bhubaneswar, the Chandan Yatra belongs to Lord Lingaraj and is observed in Bindu Sarobar, a huge tank near the temple. The float here is moved to the Mandapa- an inlet-like structure which is more an elevated platform; in the middle of the tank.
