Association of friendship with Makara Sankranti

Besides the usual rituals, people of Odisha, reaffirms the strength of the bond of friendship with their best friends during this occasion. The practice is called as “Makara Basiba”. When a Man/Woman binds himself/herself with one of his/her friends in the shackles of friendship during Makara Sankranti, afterwards they don’t utter each other’s name and he/she addresses the other as “Maharshad” or “Makara”.

It is also known for flying kites 🪁

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|| MAKARA SANKRANTI ||

Makar Sankranti marks the celebration of first harvested paddy. As rice is the staple food of Odisha “Makara Chaula” marks the culmination of the agricultural activities related to harvest season.The newly harvested rice what we call it as Makara Chaula is then offered to the supreme lord Jaganath, as it is a time for the farmers to celebrate the fruits of their hard work. This also symbolises the day when the sun enters into the zodiac Capricorn or Makara. It is also known as Uttarayana Punyakalam and heralds the arrival of spring season. The transition of Sun into Capricorn on its celestial path signifies the days start to become longer and warmer by the declining the chill of winter.

At Sri Mandir, Puri this festival is observed as Uttarayana Yatra …. And Makara chaula is offered to Lord Jaganath with prayers and chanting.

This Odia delicacy is a customary naivedya presented to god and goddess on the eve of Makara Sankranti. It is prepared with semi arid rice, milk, ghee, jaggery, camphor, cottage cheese, sugarcane, honey, cardamom powder, ginger, black pepper, khoya, along with some chopped fruits.

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|| Samba Dasami ||

☀️Samba Dasami is a unique festival observed in the state of Odisha. It is celebrated on the 10th day of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) in the month of Pausa as per the traditional Odia Calendar.

Story so far:

☀️Once lord Krishna, had cursed Samba( Son of Lord Krishna and Jambabati) to suffer from leprosy as he had disturbed lord Krishna and Satyabhama during their moment of privacy. Then after the lord regretted cursing him and asked sage Durbasa to aid him. The sage suggested that Samba should perform Surya Puja by the sea near Konark temple to be relieved from the curse of the lord. As per the suggestion Samba worshipped Lord Suryadev for 12years near Konark temple. And being satisfied with the worship of Samba, Suryadev cured Samba from leprosy on the tenth day of the month in Pousha Shuklapaksha.

☀️As per the another story, Pradyumna (Lord Krishna’s eldest son) killed Sambasur on this day, so it is also known as Sambara Dasami.

☀️ On this day, mothers pray to lord Surya for their children’s well-being.

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How puja is offered to Goddess Laxmi?

Puja is offered to Goddess in three phases:

✨First phase is known as “Prathama Dhupa”, in which “Chenna Bhoga” is offered to Goddess Lakshmi.

✨ Second phase is called as, “Madhyama Dhupa”, in which “Chaula Manda” is offered to Goddess Lakshmi.

✨Third phase is called as, “Sandhya Dhupa,” in which “fruits and sweets” are offered to Goddess Lakshmi.

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|| Sudasha Brata ||

✨In our Sanatan Dharma Sudasha Brata, is a unique ritual observed in Odisha and it is dedicated to Goddess Laxmi. The term “Su dasha” means good fortune. This festival is celebrated on the day, when there is a rare combination of “Shukla Paksha” ( Waxing phase of moon), Thursday and “Dashami” falls on the same day in Odia Calendar.

✨ It is an auspicious occasion for the married Odia women. It falls few times in the year, to celebrate and pray for the health and happiness of their family.

✨ The most important aspect of the brata is the sacred thread, which women tie on their right arm after giving it a ‘ritualistic dip in turmeric water’. Ten knots, were done by uttering 10 different names of Maa Lakshmi, on the thread. The Women are required to keep the thread tied on the arm till next Sudasha Brata, when it is replaced with a new one.

✨ Ten seems to be the magic mantra of this festival as the goddess is offered with 10 flowers, 10 scutch( duba) grass and as many jujube leaves ( bara koli patra), 10 mandas (rice dumplings) and rice grains.

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|| SUDASABRATA ||

Name of the ten knots:

1. First Knot named as “LAXMI NARAYANI”
2. Second knot named as “KAMALINI”
3. Third knot named as “SRI HARI PRIYA”
4. Fourth knot named as “PADMALAYA”
5. Fifth knot named as “KAMALA”
6. Sixth knot named as “CHANCHALA”
7. Seventh knot named as “BIGHNASENI”
8. Eighth knot named as “SINDHU RA DULANI”
9. Ninth knot named as “DURGATI NASINI”
10. Tenth knot named as “BISHNU KN PATARANI”

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Lord Viswakarma the celestial architecture, the divine carpenter had also created the ‘Chaturdha Murti’ on being appointed by then king Indradyumna to carve the murti of the deity from a log that would eventually wash up on the shore at Puri. Then he carved out deities namely Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan.

According to Laxmi Purana…
When devi Laxmi left the Jaganath temple out of anger and requested lord Viswakarma to build a palace for her, He built a palace for devi Laxmi adorned with diamonds, golds, pearls and other precious stones.

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Devi Mangala in the roots of the Vata Tree, Devi Vimala in the West, Devi Sarva Mangala in the rear lower portion of the Conchshell, on the northern side Devi Arthashini and Devi Lamba, Devi Kalarathri in the Southern side, Devi Marichika and Devi Chandarupa in the East. Also, Bhagavan Siva assumed Eight Linga Rupas viz. Kapalamochan, Kshetrapal, Yameswar, Markandey -eshwar, Eshana, Bileswar, Neelakantha, and Vateswar. If these Lingas are visioned, touched or worshipped, the devotees have access to Moksha Marga (The Road to Salvation) and if they die, their life-end is tied up with Bhagavan Siva directly without any intervention fromYama Raja.

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SHANKHA KSHETRA…….PURI

TRITHA RAJ:

The Purushottama Kshetra is of a conch shape whose North West was dominated by Shankara and the North East by Neelakantha and the Central Portion of a distance of a mile or so was of Narayana. Nearer the Shankara Tirtha is situated the Kapala Vimochana Linga and the third part of the conchshell was of Adya Shakti Vimala Devi. In the Nabhi Sthaan or the Central Region are situated the ‘Vata vrikshya’ (Tree) and Bhagavan Purushottama. Thus the Three Portions of the Purushottama Kshetra are popular as Tirtha Raj.

ROHINI KUND:

There is also a Rohini Kund, the waters of which relieve sins and constituted the tail-end of the Pralayakal water! At the southern tip of the Conchshell is situated Narasimha whose darshan itself is an instant sin destroyer. There are ‘Antarvedi’ (underlying) Eight Shaktis which are stated to be providing security at the Purushottama Kshetra.

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Prominence of present

Our past gives us our identity and we look to the future for salvation and fulfilment.

But the past is gone and can’t be relived, and the future is a mere illusion.

The essence of life is in the now, life is where u are in this very moment.

We must know to sluggish our minds, in order to appreciate life.

The more we focus on past and future, the more we miss the present.

The past is a memory and the future is an anticipation.

But the present is life itself.

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