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Showing posts from June 9, 2017


Pahili Raja Festival in Orissa

Pahili Raja Festival is the first day of three-day Raja Sankranti in Orissa. The festival is dedicated to Mother earth, girls and women. Farmers prepare for the ensuing monsoon season by giving rest to farmlands for three days. Girls and women do not do any work for three days and they indulge in fun, games and merrymaking. In 2024, the date of Pahili Raja is June 14. Raja Sankranti festival is also believed to be grooming period for young women who will be getting married during the coming year. It is also believed that the festival is associated with fertility cult. The three-day celebrations of Raja begin on Pahili Raja. There is a mad rush to grab the newly laid swings on the day. Different types of swings are laid on Pahili Raja exclusively for girls and women. Special delicacies are prepared for women. Numerous competitions and fairs are organized during the period.

Symbolism in the Black Color of Goddess Kali

Goddess Kali is the terrifying and angry form of Mother Goddess Shakti. She is pitch black in color and there is a symbolism attached to the color. She destroys and devours all that is associated with Adharma (inauspicious or evil). As Kali, she is also the personification of the all-devouring time. Her dark color and form is symbolic of future – future which is beyond the knowledge of ordinary living beings. The color also symbolizes her power to suck in all forms of ignorance. Something like a black hole . After sucking in all ignorance, she liberates her children from the cycle of reincarnation. Mother Goddess Kali is black, girdled with severed arms, with a garland of severed heads, having a lolling tongue and eyes rolling with intoxication.

Name of Wife of Shani Bhagavan

Name of wife of Shani Bhagavan is found in the Brahma Purana. She was the daughter of Chitrarath. The curse of his wife is reason behind Shani Dhrishti or the brutal vision of Shani. There is no single name of Shani’s wife. The most popular name is Nila. She has numerous names and it is found in a Shloka – Her names are Dhwajini Damini Chaiv Kankali Kalahpriya Kantaki Kalahi Chath Surangi Mahishi and Aja Shani has only one wife but she is known by numerous names. The most widely accepted name is Nila. They have a son named Gulikan.