Teens prepare themselves for Raja festival in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Bhubaneswar, June 13: The three-day celebration of Raja, one of the prime festivals of the state, started today with girls playing on the decorated dolis (swings).

Legend has it that the festival is celebrated with the signs of fertility of the mother Earth, and on the three days of Raja, no work is done putting any pressure on the soil.

Womenfolk take the time off from household chores these three days and enjoy pithas (pancakes) of various types and exclusively prepared Raja paan (special betel prepared for Raja).

“I eagerly wait for these three days to put on new clothes and spend time with my friends and play on the swing. It is a great occasion to be celebrated by every girl in the state,” said Soubhagya Nagar resident Adisha Tripathy.

To mark the festive occasion in a grand manner, the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation today organised an event at Panthanivas here to showcase Odia culture and cuisine. Besides making three decorated swings for the incoming visitors, the organisation also put up an exhibition of traditional pithas, which were also made available for sale.

Launching the event, tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda said: “With the fast pace affecting our lives and cultural traditions gradually losing importance, many youths tend to forget the ways to make the traditional pancakes. Hence the corporation’s effort is to revive the tradition.”

Raja celebration was started at nine more panthanivases (guesthouses run by the tourism body) across the state, for the first time this year. “From next year, we will add 10 more panthanivases. We are planning to take it to the metros with a sizeable Odia population,” he said. Tourism director Manoranjan Patnaik said that from tomorrow there would be cultural shows on Raja at the Panthanivas here.

City-based organisation Basudha celebrated Raja with an artists’ camp at Jayadev Bhavan. Convener Amiya Singh said: “With the festival’s theme revolving round earth and womanhood, the artists are also doing their work on the same theme and the camp will be over on June 15.”

Outdoor 3D art display at Kalinga Stadium and BMC-Keshari Mall will be held, and a film will be screened on earth and womanhood tomorrow.

Cuttack-based cultural group Soor Mandir today organised Raja at Sahid Bhavan with a musical treat for the audience with all tracks based on Raja. The audience were also offered traditional pithas (pancakes) as refreshment.

“We want to spread the cultural tradition of Raja,” said convener Jyotsna Sahoo.

Berhampur-based Odisha Service Centre for the Blind, an organisation that educates visually challenged girls, will organise a treat for its students at the Biju Patnaik Park tomorrow and the day after.