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Main Ritual
Prathamashtami is one of the most popular festivals of Orissa,
peculiar to the region. This is the eighth day in the month of Margasira
in which the eldest child of the family is honoured. He or she is given
new clothes and is made to sit on a wooden pedestal ('Pidha').
In front of him/her an earthen pitcher, full of water is placed on
handfuls of paddy. Above it a branch of mango leaves and a cocoanut is
placed. Then, the mother or any other elderly lady wishes him /her
long-life and good health by praying "Sasthi Debi" or Devi, the
Goddess that protects children.
Social Significance
The social significance of this festival is that the first-borns are
brighter and it is ultimately they who take up the burden of the family
after the death of the parents. According to psychologists the first-borns
are mostly healthy, obedient and tradition-bound. Therefore, the family
tradition is maintained through them. For such obvious reasons the eldest
child is honoured to occupy the respectable place in the family after the
death of the parents.
A special variety of cake is prepared on this occasion, which is known as
'Enduri'. The cake is offered to the Goddess of Sasthi and then taken by
all.
In the temple of Lingaraja
at Bhubaneswar
, the festival is observed with great devotion. On this day the
representative deity of Lingaraja is taken out in a palanquin to a tank
called "Papanasini", which is situated just behind the temple.