Today is 14 June 2010, a normal day for everyone but a special day for all Oriyas as this is the first day of Rajja Festival. Is it Rajja.........Rajo or Rauja............dont know how to write it in English.So I choose Rajja.............where the last a goes very softly.This festival is to welcome the monsoon in Orissa.Mansoon brings in the cultive season and happiness.So this a festival to celebrate the nature and our lovely earth.
In breakfast my wife served me today some Oriya idllis( a rice cake filled with sweet cocoanut) some semia kheer( Sweet vermicelli) and some potato curry.I asked her what this is for? She said today is Rajja so she needs to cook something special..................special????????!!!!!!!!!! Does it the special menu she made for us........... oh yeah as she does not know how to cook lot of Oriya festive cuisines. I was missng my mum's Poda Pitha( a rice ckae baked with cocoanut and spices).I was missing my old happy festive days with my big joint family. Thought to give a call to my mum.So rang her.........she was happy to hear me and asked if Leena (my wife) made something special today or not.Replied her hypothetically................no worries...............its time to enjoy. My wife planned to go to her place( I mean her dad's) with the kids and will stay there for next two days to take some rest and celebrate the festival with her family members.I advice her that my driver will drop them at their home and I left for my office.As I am working for a MNC we dont celebrate all these local festivals.....................life is so stereotype and boring.
So lets talk about this festival Rajja.............I remeber few of my Australian friends( with whom I am still on job) visited my place in 2003 Rajja festival.My mum served them some Poda pitha mansa tarkari ( mutton curry).They asked her why do we celabrate Rajja..............she explained them in a very simpler way that this is our Christmas..........we dont pray any god during this festival...........this is to have good food and enjoy life for three days to welcome the moansson in Orissa.They were amazed to know that we have such a festival for the nature and our environment.
In my chidhood we usually go to our village which is just 45 kms form Cuttack.We ( I and my brothers, sister and cousins- total 45 nos) spent all three days of this festival in the village with our parents and granny.A big hindu joint family.The ladies were busy in cooking and making special meal for us.The Gents genrally sat on chairs on the high varenda and talk to each other and we kids run around the village...........go to the river for bathing..............playing all thru the days.Not going to school or having tension of education as that is summer vacation after the annual exams.I have seen how Rajja was celebrate in villages.Girls were specially dressed and do nothing just chew paan eat good meals and roam around the village, spent most of the time on the Doli ( swing) .Boys play all kind of outdoor games like kabaddi..........football and ever flirt with the girls.The fun was unlimited.And at home good feast waited for us.
Now all those are gone..............no more such celebration............no more big joint families...............not going to village to celebrate festivals.............get ready and go to office or else take your family( nucleous one) and spent your day in some Mall.........cinema hall or restaurant. We all have changed a lot...............its always good to acccept the changing life style but the sweetness of your old traditions amazed you.
So how is this just let me know...........bye for now.........catch you soon.
In breakfast my wife served me today some Oriya idllis( a rice cake filled with sweet cocoanut) some semia kheer( Sweet vermicelli) and some potato curry.I asked her what this is for? She said today is Rajja so she needs to cook something special..................special????????!!!!!!!!!! Does it the special menu she made for us........... oh yeah as she does not know how to cook lot of Oriya festive cuisines. I was missng my mum's Poda Pitha( a rice ckae baked with cocoanut and spices).I was missing my old happy festive days with my big joint family. Thought to give a call to my mum.So rang her.........she was happy to hear me and asked if Leena (my wife) made something special today or not.Replied her hypothetically................no worries...............its time to enjoy. My wife planned to go to her place( I mean her dad's) with the kids and will stay there for next two days to take some rest and celebrate the festival with her family members.I advice her that my driver will drop them at their home and I left for my office.As I am working for a MNC we dont celebrate all these local festivals.....................life is so stereotype and boring.
So lets talk about this festival Rajja.............I remeber few of my Australian friends( with whom I am still on job) visited my place in 2003 Rajja festival.My mum served them some Poda pitha mansa tarkari ( mutton curry).They asked her why do we celabrate Rajja..............she explained them in a very simpler way that this is our Christmas..........we dont pray any god during this festival...........this is to have good food and enjoy life for three days to welcome the moansson in Orissa.They were amazed to know that we have such a festival for the nature and our environment.
In my chidhood we usually go to our village which is just 45 kms form Cuttack.We ( I and my brothers, sister and cousins- total 45 nos) spent all three days of this festival in the village with our parents and granny.A big hindu joint family.The ladies were busy in cooking and making special meal for us.The Gents genrally sat on chairs on the high varenda and talk to each other and we kids run around the village...........go to the river for bathing..............playing all thru the days.Not going to school or having tension of education as that is summer vacation after the annual exams.I have seen how Rajja was celebrate in villages.Girls were specially dressed and do nothing just chew paan eat good meals and roam around the village, spent most of the time on the Doli ( swing) .Boys play all kind of outdoor games like kabaddi..........football and ever flirt with the girls.The fun was unlimited.And at home good feast waited for us.
Now all those are gone..............no more such celebration............no more big joint families...............not going to village to celebrate festivals.............get ready and go to office or else take your family( nucleous one) and spent your day in some Mall.........cinema hall or restaurant. We all have changed a lot...............its always good to acccept the changing life style but the sweetness of your old traditions amazed you.
So how is this just let me know...........bye for now.........catch you soon.
Now des festivals tend to loose its importance......gud job to bring back dose sweet memories into face......keep it up
ReplyDeletethis is what life is ... and great to here from all your experience bro and being in deep thought that will these days be back ... can u .. can we .... can we everyone ... make any difference ... or will we just flow away with the tides of time ... without any control in our hands.... being amazed i do i am afraid what would be our future ... will it be real or only full of memories only...
ReplyDelete