Raja Parba
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Subject: Arts and culture
Context:
Prime minister greeted people of Odisha for Raja Parba celebration.
Concept:
- This is a three-day-long festival dedicated to Mother Earth (Bhuma Devi) and womanhood at large.
- There’s a story associated with this festival is goddess Earth (Bhuma Devi), the consort of Lord Vishnu, undergoes her menstrual cycle during this period.
- The word ‘Raja’ in Odia means menstruation, and it is derived from Rajaswala, meaning a menstruating woman.
- Menstruation is considered as a sign of fertility, and therefore, it celebrates femininity and her ability to give birth to another life.
- This festival is also associated with the end of the summer season and the arrival of the monsoon. And therefore, it is also associated with agriculture and cultivation related communities and activities.