Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Bhai Juintia being celebrated across western Odisha

October 16, 2011 at 6:08 am sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following report is from http://www.dainika.com:

Sambalpur: On the auspicious day of Ashwina Sukla Pakhya Astami today, Bhai Juintia is being celebrated across western Odisha.

All the markets in the western region of the state were crowded yesterday, with sisters buying the needful items for today’s puja.

On this day both married and unmarried sisters pray for long life and well-being of their brothers, by fasting the whole day without water known as Nirjala Upabasa.

A group of sisters dressed up in new attire, gather at an open space in their localities and worship Goddess Durga decorated with mango leaves, wild plants and flowers. Earlier in the day, bunches of duba (108 strands of green grass) wrapped up with freshly plucked sal leaf are prepared for each brother and the Goddess. Each bundle consists of 108 unbroken rice (non-boiled rice) also and tied up with a colourful juintia (sacred thread). Then they offer all the bundles along with prasad like jugar (made of puffed rice), puri (made of flour) and tikhri (made of mung dal) and varieties of fruits to the Goddess.

In the wee hours of next day i.e Nabami, the sisters take a holy dip in a nearby tank or river and perform ritual near the water body by offering slices of cucumbers and chopped kathi (short sal sticks used for brushing teeth).

Back home, sisters break their fast after touching her brother with the duba bunch from head to toe and presenting him prasad and gifts.

For married sisters, their brothers invite them to their parents house to celebrate Bhai Juintia and Dussehra.

Entry filed under: Athmallik, Balangir, Bargarh, Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Jiuntia, Kalahandi, Kosli Culture, Nuapada, Region watch, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Sundergarh.