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Kumar Purnima is the most celebrated festival of Odisha.This is specially for young, unmarried girls who do this puja to get a good and handsome husband. Kumar Purnima is also known as Janha (Moon) Puja and Gaja Laxmi Puja. It falls on the full moon day of Ashvin month.
Kumar means boy and thus Kumar Purnima means the day celebrated by maiden to get suitable grooms. It is believed that Kartikeya was born on this day and he was the most stunning and handsome God in the entire Dev Lok. So, on this day girls pray to get a husband like Kartikeya. There is also another folklore associated with the significance of Kumar Purnima. As Moon is very beautiful and desirable, girls pray to Moon to get a handsome husband like Moon.
Girls keep a fast on this day and worship both the rising sun and moon. They wake up early on this day and after taking a bath and wearing new clothes, they do puja of Sun. They should wake up before sunrise and pray to the rising sun. They take a handful of khae (puffed rice), janhi (ridge gourd), kakudi (cucumber), kadali (banana), nadia (coconut) and gua (betel nut) and keep on a Kula (winnowing fan). They offer a palmful of khae to Sun which is known as Anjuli. They do arti of the sun and pray to Sun God to give them a groom like him. The rest of the day, girls spend it by keeping a fast and enjoying. Girls are not allowed to work or do any physical activity on this day.
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Then during evening time, girls have to perform the same puja in front of the rising moon. In the evening puja, Chanda Chakta, a dish made of mashed khae(puffed rice), kadali (banana), guda (jaggery), ghee (clarified butter) and mahu (honey) is also used. It is then given the shape of a half moon and laid out on a Kula (winnowing fan). Girls then offer a handful of khae to Moon which is known as Anjuli.There's a myth that girls should see Udila Janha (rising moon) to get a very handsome husband. If they get late and see a Budha Janha (moon which has already risen before some time), then they will get an old groom.
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Puchi khela is an important part of Kumar Purnima and is done after worshipping the moon. It is a game where one sits in a squatting position and moves from one position to another by shifting weight from one leg to another.
It is believed that Goddess Laxmi was born on this day and is also known as Gaja Laxmi Puja. Dhenkanal and Ganjam districts of Odisha celebrate Gaja Laxmi Puja for 11 days in a grand way. Kumar Purnima marks the end of Ashvin month and the next day is the beginning of Holy Kartika month.
