East India celebrates Holi the same way irrespective of what state it is. Yet, there are a few changes due to local traditions in the ceremonies of this festival. Let’s unfold the story of Holi in Odisha.
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Holi 2020 in Odisha:
Odisha celebrates Holi in love with Lord Jagannath. So the idol of the Lord is of primary attention throughout the Holi festival. Odisha gives the name of Dol Purnima to the Holi festival.
Holika Dahan:
People light the bonfire and dance around to celebrate the victory of good over evil. After the fire is extinguished, married women wipe out the place by carefully sweeping out the ashes of the fire.
Dol Purnima:
People take out the idol of Lord Jagannath on a dol, palanquin, in a procession. It takes a round through all the streets of the city, and people turn shoulders to carry the dol. Women dance around the dol throughout the procession. And men through colored water and dry color on to the parade.
Another Indian state celebrates Holi as Dol Purnima, know about it here…
Dandi Khela:
This game is a particular part of the celebration. People also know it as dandiya. To celebrate this, songs of high beats are played. To dance on the music, people carry two sticks in their hands. Then they strike the sticks with other person’s stick and turn around. People play it in massive crowds, and everyone takes part in Dandi Khela.
Celebration of Gawalas:
As Lord Krishna was from Gawala, milkman, community, all the Gawalas carry the dol in the evening. It shows their belongingness to the Gawalas when Lord is returning back to a specially made home at night.
Jhoolan Mandap:
After the procession, the morti of the Lord rests under a specially made tent. And that is called as Jhoolan Mandap.
Holi day celebrations:
The next morning, the morti of the Lord is comes out of the tent. People apply powdered color abeer on the idol of the Lord. They also play with colors and enjoy Holi.
Food for Holi:
On the day of Holi, people enjoy the day with food too. Their favorite food is Laddo and Petha.
Conclusion of Holi:
In the evening, the idol of the Lord takes a bath into a pond as a final step of the celebration and is cleaned well. After that, it is brought back into the temple.
Another eastern state celebrates Holi in a much similar way. Learn about it here…
To enjoy Holi 2020 to the fullest, you must attend it in Odisha. You will surely remember this experience throughout your life.