Bada Osha is one of the important festivals that is celebrated in Odisha as the “Festival of Fasting”. The name depicts: Bada means big, as well as Osha means Brata. The festival is observed in the month of Kartik. As per to the custom of the festival, men observe the fast on this day. In addition to that, the fast is kept on the fourteenth day of Kartik.
When Bada Osha is Celebrated?
The celebration of Bada Osha is observed in the month end of October or else in the month of November for the duration of Kartika Masa. As per to Odia calendar, this festival is Celebrated on the Kartika Sukla Chaturdasi- which is the fourteenth day of bright fortnight of Kartika Masa. This year in 2019, he festival is going to fall on 10th November 2019.
Where Bada Osha is Celebrated?
The Bada Osha festival is celebrated at the Lord Mahadeva- Dhabaleswar Temple. The temple is Located on an island in the river Mahanadi which is at 3 kms from Cuttack.
The Dhabaleshwar is one of the most famous temples in the region as well as in India. During the Bada Osha festival, there are millions of devotees who come from place to place in order to worship the Lord Mahadeva as well as they also offers their prayers and other offerings in order to fulfil their different desires along with that they also get the mercy of God.
Bada Osha Observance
Bada Osha is basically the main festival at Dhabaleswar Pitha. The day-long fast ends in prayers as well as offerings to Lord Shiva. On this day, people or devotees are privileged to visit the Dhabaleshwar temple with its tranquil and spiritual atmosphere as well as on the other hand the others observe it in their homes. The Prasad is offered on this day which is called as Gaaja Pitha. This pitha is pure white in colour.
People or devotees generally do fasting in the Oshas. The rituals of this Osha begin from the commencement of Kartika Sukla Pratipada that is the following day of Diwali Amabasya. On this day, both men and women do fasts in this festival together. In some other of the festivals, only one person used to fast, but this is the joint fasting festival.
