Bhubaneswar: The Capital City is all decked up for Raja or Rawjaw celebrations – which begins today and shall continue till Thursday. An unique festival which celebrates womanhood is one of the most awaited ones, especially for the youngsters who leave no stones unturned to make the ongoing year’s Raja a special one.
Due to the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, there were no Raja celebrations. Thanks to COVID lockdowns, the merry-makings were restricted indoors. “But that is not Raja, unless we move out, stroll putting on our new dresses, with lots of make-up and smiles, the festival is incomplete,” a group of girls at Market Building in Unit II said.
Girls were seen putting on Mehendi, buying new dresses, jewellery, so on and so forth. There was no dearth of smiles in and around the city, with girls and young women strolling around market places with families and friends, shopping, eating good food and greeting each other.
Not only for the public, but it was also certainly a good time for the shopkeepers as the festival is being celebrated after a hiatus of two years. “We are having a brisk business, and it is growing steadily. Though there is some hesitation among girls to apply Mehendi, in the market, we are managing to sell our products,” a mehendi shop owner said.
“For us, it is movies on Pahali Raja, shopping on the second day, and Mom-made food on the last day,” a college student said. The excitement is at its peak for the festival as people are happy getting out of the Covid fear and make merry on Raja!
