Healthy foods from Odisha on the occasion of Raja, the festival that celebrates menstruation

In Odisha, menstruation is celebrated in the festival of Raja. The 3 day long festival is observed in the state with fun. The first day of the festival is called Pahili Raja; the second day is called Raja Sankranti, and the third day is Sesha Raja. On the occasion of Raja several delicacies are prepared in Odia households which we will be discussing here:

Poda Pitha is prepared from rice flour, is sweet in taste and dense in texture. Poda pitha is also offered to Lord Jagannatha.There are different types of Poda Pitha depending on the ingredients used to prepare it: Biri poda pitha, lau poda pitha, etc.

Poda pitha is prepared in a unique manner. A batter of rice and urad dal with coconut shreddings or grated coconut, jaggery, black pepper powder, ghee and salt is baked in an earthen vessel at night over a hearth. The vessel is covered with sal leaves or a banana leaf to let the pitha cook properly. In the morning of Raja, people enjoy this delicacy. The pitha is very aromatic and has the earthen flavour combined with the flavours of the ingredients used.

Along with Poda Pitha, people also enjoy Kakara, Manda Pitha, Chakuli Pitha, Arisha pitha, and Chandrakala. These native sweet food items are prepared with ingredients like rice, ghee, jaggery, black pepper powder and salt. What makes Odia sweets stand apart from others is the fact that it has a unique blend of sweet and spicy taste.

One of the main ingredients of Raja delicacies is the native grown rice which is rich in nutrients. Healthy ingredients like jaggery, coconut and spices make Raja delicacies extremely healthy. The foods are prepared in earthen vessels, are slow cooked, have less use of oil and are easy to digest. Seasonal and local ingredients enrich Raja foods.

The name of the festival means menstruation and hence the most unique biological process that a woman undergoes throughout her life celebrates menstruation, contrary to the general acceptance around it. During this time, it is believed that the mother Earth undergoes menstruation and activities like construction, tilling of the soil is forbidden. On the fourth day of the festival, the mother Earth is bathed; this is known as Basumati Gadhua.

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