October is the month of many memorable festivals: Dashahara (October 5),
Kumar Purnami (October 9), Dipabali (October 25th). Among all these festivals
Kumar Purnami is the unique festival of Orissa. In USA, Oriya communities
everywhere celebrate this festival with a lot of glamour.
Kumar Purnima: An
Introduction
Kumar is the handsome son of Shiva. He is also the God of war. Kumar
Purnima is the full-moon day in the month of October-November. In
Orissa mostly girls celebrate this festival to get a handsome husband.
The girls keep fasting for the whole day. They worship the Sun god
after taking bath in the morning. In the evening they wear new
garments and perform the puja near a “chaunrA”. After the puja
they take the bhoga and throw that in the pond or the river. Then they
search for snails (genDA), oyster shells (sAmukA), or bamboo twigs (dANtakAThi).
They bring whatever they get and then throw it to the roof of the
house singing the songs “dAntakAThi, mo bhAi heu sunAKaThi, genDA,
mo bhAi heu bhenDA” etc. which means “make my brother strong, make
my brother a golden stick”.
The girls then come back home and eat “sAtwika food”. Usually a
special cake “manDA-piTHA” is prepared in the houses and the girls
eat that. Then they go to rejoice the full moon night with songs and
dance. They also play a kind of game known as 'Puchi'.
Kumar Purnami is also celebrated as “Laxmi-Puja”.
In Bari of Jajpur district this puja is known as
“Gajalaxmi Puja”. In
many places the idol of Laxmi is installed and the puja is performed.
Kumar Purnami
Songs
Phula Baula Beni:
The traditional song of Kumar Purnami is “Phula
Baula Beni”
kuAnra
punei janha-go phula bauLa beNi,
kuAanri
mAneje puchi kheLuchhanti (2)
jhunTiA
shabada suNa-go phula bauLa beNi
kaiyAn
gachhara chhAi-go phula bauLa beNi,
kruSna
jetebeLe janama hoile
kuAn
kuAn DAka deigo phula bauLa beNi
Jashoda
dukha sankhALi-go phula bauLa beNi
kete
kautuka gopa kaTakare karuchhanti banamALi go
phula bauLa beNi
sapata
barase giri-go phula bauLa beNi
Teki
nija kare dharibAru gope nAmahela giridhari-go
phula bauLa beNi
kuAnra
punei janha-go phula bauLa beNi,
kuAanri
mAneje puchi kheLuchhanti (2)
jhunTiA
shabada suNa-go phula bauLa beNi
kuAnra
punei janha-go phula bauLa beNi,
kuAanri
mAneje puchi kheLuchhanti (2)
jhunTiA
shabada suNa-go phula bauLa beNi
dibase
sundara kharA-go phula bauLa beNi,
niLa
nabha sobhA rAti adha beLe mukutA bichADe tArA-go phula bauLa beNi
dekha-tA
sundara pana ku, phula bauLa beNi
kete
je sundara hoi nathibaTi koTi juhAra-tA guNa-ku
phula bauLa beNi
