KENDRAPARA: Raja, the three-day festival of joy and revelry kicked off in the rural belts of the coastal district of Kendrapara on Sunday.
In villages, women were busy making traditional dishes while men participated in the competition of traditional games like dice, kabbadi, ludo, wrestling and sword fighting. The festival is also considered as monsoon festival as the farmers start cultivation.
Prafulla Jena (54), a villager of Pattamundai, said traditional games are the cultural feature of the festival. Dice and kabbadi are most popular games in rural areas during Raja celebrations, he added.
A dice player of Kendrapara Swadhin Parida (56) said the nature of celebrations has undergone a sea change over the years. The traditional games are on the verge of extinction.
However, various organisations organised competition of traditional games and pitha making on the day with participation of the youths. Villagers in Kuseipala and Ichhapur organised wrestling and sword fighting to mark the Pahili Raja (first Raja) on Sunday.