The age-old traditions of Raja celebration have given way to new approaches with the festivities limited to lavish spending on new dresses and other purchases.
Even as the festival is losing its sheen in urban areas, many organisations are making sincere efforts to keep the traditions alive by organising special programmes.
The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has made arrangements to celebrate the festival in some of its Pantha Niwas across the State.
OTDC will make special arrangements like traditional Odia ‘pithas’ and cuisine to Raja ‘dolis’ on Pantha Niwas premises at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Konark, Rourkela, Satpada and Barakul.
“Playing on swings in groups, singing Raja songs and savouring Poda Pitha and paan are traditionally attached to this festival. But now-a-days, all these traditions have taken a backseat and the festival has lost its spirit,” said Alok Mishra, Marketing Manager of OTDC. The Mahotsav aims at popularising the festival among young generation.