Odisha: Amid the lockdown induced by the coronavirus pandemic in the state, Odisha has launched ‘Pitha on Wheels ‘ ahead of the three-day Raja festival, one of the most popular ones celebrated at the onset of monsoon.
Every year during the Raja festival, OTDC (Odisha Tourism Development Corporation) makes special arrangements with all varieties of pithas and swings. However, this year it will be a bit different. OTDC has made all the arrangements for the people to celebrate Raja amid Covid-19 guidelines.
Pithas are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings, or fritters, originating from the Indian subcontinent, common in Bangladesh and India. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fried, or griddled.
In Odisha, these are special delicacies in an Odia home. On traditional festivals, sweet pithas form a part of the celebrations. Pithas are also routinely prepared and served in Odia homes on normal days. The pitha may be broadly put in the category of cakes.
Different types of Odia pithas like poda pitha, manda, kakara, arisha, chakuli, and chandrakala would be available near Master Canteen, Khandagiri, CRP, Patia, Chandrasekharpur, and Rupali squares between 7am to 11pm on June 14-16.
Special counters have been opened at Pantha Nivas of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, and Rourkela to sell pithas. People can purchase pithas from these counters following all the guidelines of Covid-19.
In Odisha, the Raja festival is a tribute to menstruation and girls wear new clothes and take turns on swings hanging from tree branches. According to popular belief, Earth, perceived to be a woman, menstruates during these three days of the Raja festival and a ceremonial bath takes place on the fourth day. Ploughing is forbidden and unmarried girls in the countryside are feted during the three days.
Last year, the district administration in Keonjhar, where the Raja festival is celebrated on a bigger scale, banned all congregations related to the occasion.
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