Bhubaneswar, June 15: Aditi, a Class IV student of Unit-VIII DAV Public School, today decided to spend some time in Patrapada on the city outskirts to celebrate the ongoing Raja festival.

The festival, which celebrates Mother Earth's fertility and the spirit of womanhood, ensures that women get a well-deserved break from the humdrum of life, pamper themselves by putting their feet up and enjoying the monsoon breeze.

Since riding swings are an integral part of the festival, a group from the city decided to organise such an event at Patrapada.

Pravat Kumar Martha, one of the organisers, said: "Many people have left their villages to settle in the city. When the festival comes, most of them either remain confined to their city homes or can't celebrate the festival at all. The younger generation too is deprived of the opportunities to know their culture and tradition. Keeping this in mind, we decided to celebrate the Raja festival six years ago. Now, it has become a grand success. It is attracting people from different parts of the city. Parents are bringing their daughters here to celebrate the occasion."

Like Aditi, many girls from the city assembled at Patrapada to join in the festivities.

"I am happy that my parents have brought me here. I enjoyed myself on the swings. I also applied mehendi on my hands here," said Aditi.

Wearing new clothes, alta (red paint for feet) and other traditional dresses, the girls had a lot of fun.

The organisers had arranged for 121 swings for the girls and created a rural atmosphere to give the impression that the girls were celebrating Raja in their villages, far away from city life. The organisers zeroed in on the area as it has a large number of trees.

The organisers said they also made arrangements for mouth-watering food items. "We are organising a podapita (traditional cake) competition," said Martha.

The organisers have also arranged for chess and ludo competitions for both boys and girls. Elderly people were seen playing cards under the trees. "Playing cards is associated with Raja," said Raja Prasad Mohanty, 48, a native of Jagamara.

Former women commissioner Anubha Chaddha, who also came to the place to get a taste of the festival, told The Telegraph: "It's a great experience to participate in the Raja festival."