CHAPTER - VI

RITUALS AND FESTIVALS

OF SAMALAI
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CHAPTER - VI

RITUALS AND FESTIVALS OF

SAMALAl

The sanctity of certain monuments and period of time

by association with memorable events, religious or holy persons like

sages and experiences are the basic ideas underlying the observance

of sacred days and festivals. Both are instruments of the enrichment

of inner life and are so acknowledged by human nature. The

ancient Hindu literature mentioned that all Hindu festivals are

religious, divine and this is not due solely to the fact that the

literature itself is religious. Rather they perform it to play regard to

their gods and goddesses who are considered to be their savior or

master.

Western Odisha gains much popularity as a place of

different festivals and yatras for which it is recognized as a sacred

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place for worship. South Kosala consist of different districts

inhabited by millions of adivasis belonging to the aboriginal tribes,

namely Kondh, Kol, Gond, Binjhal, Savar, Munda, Oram, Mirdha,

Ho, Juang, Bhuyan, Kisan, Sahara etc. live with their indigenous

culture, life style and dialects. They for their amusements and

fulfillment of desire performed several fairs and festivals. They are

performing their festivals from a yore of past. Whatever evidences

are found in the books in connection with the sacred places of

Odisha, it is assumed that the flow of worship is being flown

without any hindrance for not less than a period of thousand years

continuously and that is why Odisha is called as "Odmkshyam

Pmthamam Pitham”}

To make their life fruitful people performed festivals.

In every month of the year there are festivals. Hence there is saying

that "Bara Mase Tera Parva"2 meaning there is no month where there

is no festivals.

Celebrations of festivals, protects the customs and

traditions as well as gives gleamed gay to the young and old. They

organized in a particular place irrespective of caste, colour and

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creed. It is also necessary to remove the waviness cares and

anxieties. The helpless man has a great shy of relief by representing

his own worries before his beloved Gods and Goddesses. Festivals

bring joy to the human being and encourage to leading a healthy,

wealthy social life.

Ma Samaleswarl is considered as a savior of the life of

people. She is believed to protect life in time of danger, gives good

harvest, rain, health and wealth. She is most powerful, omnipotent,

omnipresent and mother of all and considered as "Jagatjanani".

The priests of Samaleswarl temples of Western Odisha

are belong to castes like Kshatriya, Binjhal, Sahara, Keut and Gond.

They are worshipping the Goddess from an unknown past

hereditarily. They have some lands in the name of deity given by

the builder of the temple like the then king, zamindar, village

headman i.e. Gauntias etc. and accordingly they are cultivating that

particular lands for their duties done in the temple and maintaining

their life as well.

In course of time human sacrifice performed in the

temple was discontinued which was prevailing till the time of

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Madhukardev.3 But it was stopped following a miracle which runs

as follows:

Once a saint of Vaisnaba faith was captured by some

people. Their intention was to kill be saint before the Goddess

Samaleswarl and accordingly he was presented before the king

Madhukardev.4 The saint requested before the king that he should

be allowed to be kept in the temple and if the Goddess is man eater,

she may eat him. He was kept in the temple as proposed by the

saint and the door was locked from outside. But in the next

morning the saint dumbled out and since then there stopped the

human sacrifice and started buffalo sacrifice. King Baliar Singh Dev

adopted the saint as Rajaguru and appointed him as Mahanta of

Gopalji Matha.5

At present both human and buffalo killing has been

stopped but in place of that goats, chicken, sheep, killing has been

prevailing in some of the Samaleswarl temple. Fish is also being

used as offering to the Goddess in the temple of Sambalpur and

Barpali.
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In the entire Samaleswarl temple there are no such

same festivals being observed at Sambalpur. As said by the temple

priest of Sambalpur, they organized several fairs and festivals

through out the year with much pump and ceremony. The temple

fair and festivals of Sambalpur is managed by Shree Shree

Samaleswarl Trust Board which was formed in the year 1965. This

monument has been declared State Protected under Ancient

Monuments Preservation Act 1956 (Act 12 of 1956).

TIME SCHEDULE OF THE TEMPLE

Mangala Alati 5.00 a.m.

Bhoga and Pakada 12.00 noon to 12.30 noon

Alati 8.00 p.m.

Bhoga 9.00 p.m.

Close of Temple 10.00 p.m.

On festival days and on all Tuesday there may be

deviation up to 1 hour. Sale of Annabhoga 12.15 noon onwards.

The fairs and festivals organized in the temple are runs

as follows:
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(1) Pana Sankranti and Hanuman jayanti are observed in the

month of Baisakha (April) on the day of Samkranti.

(2) Towards the middle of the month May, Sabitri Ambasya

comes. It is described in the Purana that Devi Sabitri

brought back her husband Satyaban from the hands of

Yama. The God of death which was happened in the

day of Ambasya, It was happened due to the blessing of

Goddess Durga. So Amabasya Puja is,being organized

before the Goddess. The married women took a severe

fast for the longevity and welfare of their husbands.

(3) Tarini Brata and Hera Panchami Brata are celebrated in

the month of Asadha (June-July).

(4) Chitraka Parva, Nabadevi Puja are celebrated in the

month of Shravana (August) on the full moon day

Sisters pray for a long life of their brothers and worship

to the Goddess. They tied rakhi, a sacred thread to

them.
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(5) Lord Krishna and Ambika were took birth on the day

of Astami in the month Bhadraba. So Ambika Puja is

celebrated on that day.

(6) One of the most important annual festivals observed in

the temple is Nuakhai or Navarna, on the day of

Panchami. The first grains, of the new paddy crop

cooked into various dishes are offered to the deity. It is

an agricultural festival embracing all sections of the

population. In this day puja is offered in a total 115

places in the temple premises.

(7) In all temples of Western Odisha, people organize

great festival in the month of Dasahara (October). This

month is most important for the Goddess. Gorgeous

arrangements are made for the merry making along

with worship of Goddess.

Puajiuntia is observed on the day of Astami by mothers

to invoke the grace of Lord for life and prosperity of their sons.

On Ambasya day, Devi worshipped as Dhabalamukhi

(white face). She is used to appear in the form of Ganga. The

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priests of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Barpali, Ambapali etc. painted the

deity with white colour in place of scarlet red as on other occasion.

King Balaramdev started this custom.

Then there started the Navaratra worship which began

from Pratipada to Navami and Goddess was worshipped in nine

different forms like Sailaputri besa, Brahmacharini besa, Chandraghanta

besa, Kusmanda besa, Skandamata besa, kaytdyini besa, Kalaratri besa,

Mahagauri besa, Siddhidatri besa and Rajarajeswari besa respectively.

In the first day of navaratra Goddess is worshiped in

the form of Sailaputri besa. In this form she holds trident, lotus and

half moon in her forehead.

In the second day Goddess holds a Japamala in right

hand and a water pot in left hand. In the next day Goddess was

worshipped in the form of Chandraghanta besa. There is a half moon

in her forehead. She holds war weapons with her ten hands and is

prepared for war with her vehicle lion. In the fourth day she is

decorated in the form of Kusmanda besa and holds water pot, bow,

weapons, lotus, chakra, mace and japamala. In the fifth day she is

worshipped in the form of Skandamata besa. Katyayam besa comes on

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the sixth day. In this form she has four hands and holds lotus,

sword. She showed the devotees in Abhayamudra. In the seventh

day Goddess is decorated in the form of Kalaratri besa. In this form

she has four hands and her body is black. She has third eyes. Her

vehicle is an ass. Then on Mahastami, bath of swords starts. On this

day the deity is decorated with Mahagauri besa. She wears white

cloth. She has four hands. Bhai jiuntia Parva reached its climax on

this day which is observed by the women, young and old, married

and unmarried. A total fast is undertaken by them for the whole

day and night with the aim of invoking mother Durga's benediction

for the long life and prosperity of their brothers.6 On the ninth day

Goddess is worshipped as Siddhidatribesa. She has four hands and

holds lotus, conch, moon and mace. Then come Bijaya Dasami Parva.

On this day all people and priest meet together and go to swords

bath place. On this day the king of Sambalpur comes out in the

form of a warrior with his army for war. He begged the blessing of

the Goddess for the war and starts his journey. This tradition was

started by Balaramdev said the priest Pitambar Ray and continued

upto the ruling period of King Narayan Singh. But after the

occupation of Sambalpur by the British, the king could not continue.

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Then that tradition was performed by another man appointed by

the British called Ustad. Now the 9th Ustad Pitambar Ray is

continuing the work, who becomes king for one day.

On the full moon day Devi is worshipped as

Rajarajeswarl. Almost in all the temple peoples organize a great

festival known as Samalal Yatra. The highlight, of festival is large

scale slaughter of sacrificed animals such as goats, sheep, fowl

before the Goddess and Barua or Shaman. On the day the soul of

the Goddess enters to a human body who dances and moves door to

door and give blessing to the devotees.

SHAMANISM IN SAMALAI CULT

In the Samaleswarf temple of the village like Kangaon

Arjunda, Loida, Balangir, Soneur, Remanda, Chichinda etc

Shamanistic practices also called "Bail Yatra" are still observed

though in other some temples such practices has been stopped.

The Shaman who is called Kalasi are believed to be

ritually possessed by the spirit proceeding from the goddess

Samaleswari. He is associated with dance and music. A tribal man

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or the priest of the Samalai temple became spirit- possessed on the

fullmoon day of Dasahara. People believed that goddess has come

to their village to listen their different problems and people killed

goat infront of Kalasi and offered blood to eat.

Shaman in Saura culture implies a priest. He/she is

also possessed by the deity and she prophesies about the future or

curing diseases or eradication of evil spirits etc of the people of their

tribe. The Bail yatra of Sonepur, Patkhanda Yatra or Jarasingha, Sulia

Yatra near Saitala, Barua plays the important role. The Barua is the

deity possessed person. People believe the person as embodiment

of the goddess herself and show profound reverence to the Barua as

the goddess. Shawman is a tribal synonym of barua. It is curious to

know that these are Samalai shamans i.e. shaman/ Barua, the body

which is temporary possessed or physically pervaded by the deity

Samalai.

(8) The month of Kartik (October-November) is considered

as sacred month. Dipawali falls in this month. In this

day Samaleswarl is worshipped as Goddess Kali.

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(9) Margasira is the month of Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess

of wealth. In all Thursday of this month, Samaleswari

is worshipped as Goddess Laxmi.

(10) Pausha Parva is celebrated in the full moon day in the

month of Paush (December-January). On this day

demon Kansa was killed by child Krishna.

(11) Samalal is worshipped as Saraswati, the Goddess of

Learning. It falls in the month of January on the day

Panchami.

(12) Gundikhia Parva is observed on Dola Purnima. In this

day they offered mango.

(13) Basanti Durga Puja celebrated for ten days. It comes in

the month of Chaitra or April.

WORSHIP AND THE PRIEST OF SAMALAl TEMPLE

Goddess Samalal is worshipped with the Bhnbaneswarai

mantra by Kshatriya sevayats or priest. She is worshipped by both

tribal and non-tribal people of Western Odisha. Even the brahmin

priests are engaged in Samalal temple of Chhatabar, located in

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Sambalpur district, to worship the goddess. But it has been found

that most of the priest of Samalal temples of Western Odisha are

belonged to Sahara, Binjhal, Gonds and Naksia caste.

The priest of Samalal temple, Sambalpur use the

surname "Rai". They belong to Naga family, They worship the

goddess after being initiated by their Kula guru/, Kida puroita, who is

a Brahmin (Panigrahi family), by caste. The Kula purohita initiated

the newly married couple on the day of astami, in the month of

Dasahara. It is told that such initiation is still contuing and their Kula

Purohita supposed to live at Khalia Pali, a. village located in

Sambalpur district.

DIVISION OF WORSHIP:

During the rule of Chhatra Sai worship of the Goddess

was transferred from Chauhan family to Naga family of Ratnapur

as there was a disturbance occurred in Sambalpur. As the king was

remaining absent in summer season and remained with his queen

Radhadei at Chandrapura of present Chhattisgarh. The long

absence of the king creates a disturbances and a revolt was started

by the army. So king listened about the political disturbances and

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went to Sarangarh and made contact with Udyoga Sai, the Dewan of

Sarangarh. He also went near Durjaya Singh of Raigarh and with

the help of both the power he attacked Sambalpur. The soldiers of

Raigarh and Sarangarh killed the rebellious people.

Now Chhatra Sai donated 42 villages to Udyota Sai.

The king had 12 queen.8 Among them, the princess of Ratnapur

located presently at Chhattisgarh was the chief queen, gave birth a

son named Budha Ray at Sambalpur.

The two royal officials namely Purusottam Pruseth and

Mana Mishra were very nearer to Ratnapur princess. Due to that

the others became envious and inform that the princess and king of

Ratnapur were planning to install Budha Rai on the throne of

Sambalpur. The king could not understand about the conspiracy

and killed both mother and child. The king of Ratnapur became

angry and attacked Sambalpur with the help of Nagpur army and

imprisoned Chhatra Sai. Later on, the king beg excused and spent

his last time at Purusottama Kshetra.

After the incident the king of Ratnapur left Sambalpur

but starts the worship of the Goddess by his own Naga family and

the family of Budha Rai. Both the group divided the worship and
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accordingly the family members of Budha Rai worship 15 days and

rest 15 days was worshipped by Naga family of Ratnapur. But after

some years they brought some people from Naga family of

Kalahandi/ Patnagarh and earlier two groups gave three days each

to the new one as a result of which it became 6 days to worship.

Now the earlier groups worshipped the Goddess for 12 days each.

Till date such division is continuing said Pitambar Ray.

He told me in time of research that Samir Singh was the

third brother of Chhatra Sai and the last Chauhan priest of Samalai

temple, Sambalpur. After him the Chauhans did not worship

goddess Samalai. But the Naga family of Ratnapur started the

worship of the goddess. Ramachandra Ray (see appendix-I) who

was the Nilambar Singh Ray uncle's son of Budha Ray and other in

the name of Budha Ray started and continued the worship. But

after some years they invited some priest of Naga family of Patana

(group-4) and gave 3 days each to worship as a result group-4 (see

appendix-I) worship the goddess for day is a month and got

Jayaghanta where they are living till date. The priest of group-I are

living in Katapali and Amsada where as priest of Group-2-A are

living in N.Jampali located in Bargarh district. The priest of Group-

3-A are living in Kalamati, located in Sambalpur district.

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REFERENCES:

1. Mishra, M., "Dwadasa Yatra" (Oriya), Odisara Sakta Samskruti,

O.C.F. (ed), 1980, P. 68.

2. Das, H.K., "Village Life and Festivals", Odisara Parva Parvani

(Oriya), U.P.S. (ed) Cuttack, 1979, P. 334.

3. Das, S.P., Sambalpur Itihas (Oriya), Sambalpur, 2002, P. 158.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid, P. 159.

6. Udgata, G.C., "Ceremonies and Festivals of Western Orissa",

In (ed.) M.S. Pati, West Orissa : A Study in Ethos, Sambalpur

University, 1992, P. 168.

7. Das, S.P. Op cit., P. 172.

8. Ibid, P. 173.