Also called “car festival”, this is the most important festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath, taking place every year in June in Odisha. The “rathas” are huge wooden structures on wheels that are built every year and pulled by the devotees.
During this four-days festival, women and young girls in Odisha in the Bay of Bengal are given a break from household work. It’s time to play games, indoor and outdoor!
According to the mythology, the mother goddess Earth, also called Bhudevi, undergoes menstruation during the first three days. The fourth day is known as Vasumati gadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi. The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more popular as an agricultural holiday.
Today is the birth anniversary of Saint Kabirdas who lived in the 14th century in the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi, N.E. of India). Saint Kabir was a famous poet whose life was dedicated to mysticism and religious teaching. He was a great devotee of Lord Rama and Hinduism came naturally to him, even though he grew up in a Muslim family.
Saint Kabir preached the unity of all men and confessions, and he was loved by both the Muslims and the Hindus.
The 10th of June marks the beginning of the festival Kottiyor Utsavam, a pilgrimage held during 28 days in commemoration of the mythology of Daksha Yaga. This pilgrimage, similar to the Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims, is observed by Hindus and held in the district of Kannur. The two temples that conduct the festival are Akkare Kottiyoor and Ikkare Kottiyoor, situated in the middle of a dense forest, and dedicated to Shiva.
The 09th of June is the celebration of Bhima Ekadashi. An Ekadashi is a spiritual and beneficial day in Hinduism. There are 24 Ekadashi through the whole year, but observing this specific Ekadashi is equal to observing all of them.
According to the legend, Bhima, who was one of the heroes of Hindu epic Mahabharata, wanted to observe all the Ekadashi fasts, but couldn’t resist as his love for food was too strong. He then approached the sage Vyasa who advised him to observe one day of complete fast, as it would replace all the 24 Ekadashi. By observing this day of Ekadashi, Bhima attained the virtue of all 24.
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