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In Malkangiri district there is a mixed kind of festivals found throughout the district. Shivaratri, Holi
and Ratha Yatra are amoung the other chief festivals of the Hindus of common people of Malkangiri District.
Apart from these festivals that are celebrated in Malkangiri, there are few festivals which is celebrated by the
particular people in different parts of Malkangiri district. Every year on the full moon day of Phalgun
a great festivals is celebrated by the Harichand Baba and NaraNarayan Sevashram for three days.
This is a great festivals for Bengalies on the bank of Potteru. Besides this another festival also takes
place by the Kashi Krishana Ashram in the village of M.V.-7. On the Magha Purnima day, there is "Asta
Prahari Nama Yagnya" by the bengalies in the Goura Gobinda Ashram at M.V.-3. This attracts large number
of gatherings. Free food and accomodation were arranged for the devoties and visitors throughout the festival.
In these Yatra one can find the traditional shade of the people of the Bengal. Apart from these festivals
" Bada Yatra" is celebrated by the tribes with full cheer and enthuziagum, and is the major festival of Malkangiri
district which is celebrated every alternate year. The detail about the Bada Yatra is given below.
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The "Badajatra" of Malkangiri has been celebrated since time
immemorialand it has no historical records. Just like other
pujas, this puja is based on legends, folktales and people's
belief. Primerily the "Kanamraju, Potraju and Balraju, worshiped
by Koya Tribe, has been linked with Lord Krishna, Bhima and
Arjun.
From this pint of view the main source of this Jatra
has ben related either to the Mohabharata or to the killing of Jarasandha in Bhagavata.
This Badajatra has been celebrated by the premitive tribal
community such as Koya and Dravid. Koya belong to Ganda community and they treat
and they treat Bhima as their forefather. This Jatra is celebrated every two years.
Whatever may be the fact, the worship of KanbamRaju PotaRaju
and BalRaju, the three mysterious diety, has been celebrated with traditional method
Accoring to that stricture the celebrations of this Jatra
and method of worship isdone through two phases.
First Phase -
Before one month of the commencement of this Jatra that is on
the first Wednesday after the Magh Purnima a group of people
from the Marali temple of Malkangiri set out to Manmkonda to build
the dieties and to do other relevent work. It is a group often
reach Manamkonda on Monday via Gurakunta, Kachhalwada, Gumuka, Kangur Konda,
Kalimela and Pindikonda. During their ourney the villagers of Dariguda,
Pananaguda, Dadimetla, Mandapali, Kangurkonda and Pindikonda
give goats for killing. The potters of Pitarkata donate four big earthen tubs
and the blacksmith of kutbanpali donate iron rings for the dieties.
At Manyamkonda two priests join and the function of the Jatra
begins.
Balsa chhapar - A temporary camp made of palm leaves is called
Balsa. This Balsa is made by the people going from Malkangiri
on the otherside of Mutya lamma temple. In this Balsa dieties are
set up and preliminary worship is performed.
Telapeda - They collect the different materials and oil for
the puja BaunsMara of the dieties.
After Balsa chhapar on wednesday the priests set out for collection
bambo from the jungle of Sadbanpalli. They find three bambo shoolings at a
certain place from the side of a hill in the jungle. The priests take
bath in the Bandrai or Pandab kunda. Band means rock and Rai means tania.
Later on this Bandrai became Pendudhar and now is now is known Pandrai.
Legend tells the Pandavas during their exile stayedon this rock and some people call
this kunda as Draupadi kunda as Draupadi took bath in it. There are Sita kunda
and Amma kunda in Bonda Hill. The priests after their bath in this kunda,
they kill a black cock an d a goat cut the bambo shooting with a new knief,
they cover the shootings with piece of new cloth and come to Manyamkonda.
This work is called Baunsmana which means bambo cutting.
Dangamara-
After the collection of Bambo shooting the people of Poluru and Dupenkonda
cut a big tree and make a boat out of it.They focus this new of with the old one.
They placethe three dieties on these baat abd criss tge Sileru or Silariver, Jalachira.
Putting the peacock feather in hot water and tearing them upis called the
Jalachira. Previously Peacock came at the attraction of thrown rice offered
at the puja and leave their feathers. But when they donot come,"Bagrala" a man
in the guise of peacock,dances to attract the peacock. People catch the peacock
and collect their feathers. Then it is put in hot water to clean them and
after the dieties are decorated with the feathers.
Pratima Nirman (Making the idols)-
It starts on the eleventh day making of idol is done daily one. Bambo shootings
are cut and arranged lengthwise. The longst one isfor Kanam Raju, shorter one
is for PotaRaju and shortest on is for Bal Raju. Days for making the idols
of Kanam raju, PataRaju and BalaRaju and Saturday, Sunday and Monday are
respectively. The work starts from morning till noon. The news of making the
idols is sent to the Mauli temple of Malkangiri on Tuesday.
Bali Bhata -
Bali bhata is cooked at Kalia Bhatta in Malkangiri at the Midnight of Tuesday.
The blood of a killed goat is mixed with the rice and scatteded in the village.
This is done to please the ghosts to escape from their evil eyes. After this
second phase of the festival begins.
Second phase -
After the Balibhata in the Second phase the dieties are taken from Malkangiri
to Manyamkonda via Gumuka, Kalimela.
After that the diesties are taken to the village Polaru. There they cross the
river and the new diesties are bathed in the Tadaka Tutha. After that they are
back to Poleru village at Monday night. The villagers welcome the dieties with
song and dance and it continues all night.
On Tuesday the three dieties are back to Manyamkonda and meet Mutyalamma, the
goddess Durga. Bali is offered to Durga and annabhog is given at midnight. The
bhog is prepared with covered mouth. On wednesday the dieties set out to Malkangri
via Kalimela, Shikapali and Tamasa and on Saturday they reach Malkangiri.
The programmes of the Badajatra is a follows.
1st day - Journey to Manyamkonda and First annabhog there.
2nd day - Journey to Kalimela via Gubleru and halt.
3rd day - Journey to Kangurukonda and halt.
4th day - Halt in the morning at Poteru, Day time halt at Shikapalli and in
the evening at Tamasa.
5th day - Journey to Kanya Majhi Bandha at Malkangiri in the morning and journey
to Mandia Bhatta in the evening and halt.
6th day - Journey to Mauli temple from Mandi Bhatta and halt.
7th day - Journey to Mauli temple yard and halt.
8th day - Last Anna bhog at midnight.
9th day - seeing the dieties off in the moring.
Badjatra being the most famous and import and festival of thsi area attracts
lots of people.
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Chaitra parba is also called Pangal, a word which comes from South India. It lasts for the whole month of Chaitra.
All the tribes go gay. Men and Boys go out into the forest for hunting. If they come back without anything, they cannot
show their faces to women. Therefore no animal escapes the hunters. If they get nothing else they even kill a jackal.
Women dance and sing whole day in the streets and in village commons. All motor vechicles are stopped several times on the
road by streams of girls who dance and sing across the road. It is only few paise are paid that the vechicles are allowed
to move. With the rise in prices this levy may have risen to rupees. A car going from or to Malkangiri may be stopped a dozen
times.To witness a tribal dance for a few rupees is a very cheap entertainment.
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