People from different walks of life celebrate Raja festival with joy

Bhubaneswar (By Abhishek Mohanty): People from all walks of life in Odisha celebrated the first day of the three-day Raja festival with great enthusiasm and joy on Saturday.

Wearing traditional attires, applying "alata" on their feet, "mehendi" on their hands, girls spent time at leisure, play indoor and outdoor games, and consume "Poda Pitha" made up from rice, flour, jaggery and coconut.
During Pahili or first day of Raja, the demand for paan (betel) increases. Keeping this in view, shops and vendors were seen selling varieties of paan to cater to the taste of customers.
To promote Odia cuisine, the Odisha government has set up pitha outlets at the Bhubaneswar Panthanivas.
Cultural programmes have been arranged by different organisations at places including Saheed Nagar, Patrapada, Panthika, Jagamara in Bhubaneswar.

The popular "Pitha on Wheels" programme will be operational in Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur. During this period, traditional delicacies will be offered to the public.