By Ashwini Darjee
BARGARH: Kartik month is the best month of the year. In Sanatan Dharma, Kartik month is considered completely auspicious. The sacred work done on any day of this great Kartik month has great significance.Panchuka is the last five days of Kartik month in Odisha and people abstain from all types of non-vegetarian food during the period. The period is of great significance to Lord Jagannath devotees.
Traditionally, staunch devotees of Lord Jagannath abstain from all type of non-vegetarian foods during the entire Kartik month but those who are unable to follow it, observe it during the last five days of the month.
However, while people perform puja throughout this month, Ruhunia village near Bargarh town observes this month exclusively as a fast. For more than 50 years, the villagers of Ruhunia walk around the village every morning in the month of Kartik, singing hymns and celebrating “Balak Bhojan Utsav” on the fourth day of the month of Kartik.
Today in Ruhinia village, children’s food was offered to thousands of boys and girls nearby. According to the information of the villagers, the main purpose of this festival is that 50 years ago, people in the rural areas did not eat good food, so our ancient men. Thought that the month of Kartik is a full month. This is being observed since then.
“Balak Bhojan Utsav” was first celebrated in Ruhuniya village under Bargarh block in 1971 on the Chaturthi of Kartik month and since then till Sunday this festival is celebrated. Sunday thousands of small children, boys and girls from the surrounding areas participate in this festival on a large scale. Panchayats and villages, which is very interesting. It happens that in the month of Kartik everyone worships God but the real God resides in small children and children are considered to be the incarnation of God. Therefore, the villagers of Ruhunia offer the children ofi as offerings to the real God.
It is believed that if children are treated respectfully as per God’s will, then God accepts them and takes advantage of them. Therefore, the elders of the village who believed in this belief used to gather in the entire village on the auspicious day like Chaturdashi of Kartik month for the welfare of the society and started the festival of offering tarpan to the boys and girls for the welfare of the society community.
Even today, the villagers of Ruhunia are keeping the tradition of their ancestors alive and celebrating this festival. Every family of the village participates in this festival and earns money by contributing in some way or the other. Nruparaj Dash, Pratap Chandra Dash, Musil Pradhan, Prahlad Bhoi, Charkhuntia Pradhan, Tapa Pradhan heads conducted this program.
