Prathamastami: The Festival Of Firstborns Is Here!

Prathamastami: The Festival Of Firstborns Is Here!

Prathamastami- the festival for the firstborns is here! It is that time of the year once again when this quintessential Odia rite is solemnised for the life and prosperity of the eldest child who is offered an ovation by the senior female members of the household. Prathamastami is one among the myriad of festive occasions as well as the kaleidoscopic customs and traditions observed throughout the year in Odisha. Celebrated on Astami of the month of Margasira according to the Odia almanac, the auspicious occasion occurs on the eighth day after the pious Kartika Purnima. This sacred day is also known as Saubhagini Astami, Kaal Bhairav Astami and Papanashini Astami.

Significance 

This festival in Odisha celebrates the firstborns, the prathams in the family. They are considered the heir to the culture and tradition of the family and festivals. And this festivity instils a sense of responsibility in the child to carry forward the legacy to the next generation.

As Odisha is mostly an agricultural state, and during this month farmers’ first harvest of paddy, black gram, radish, vegetables, and many others are offered to Goddess Lakshmi and is worshipped as she is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, hoping she’ll shower her blessings for the rest of the year.

Rituals

Prathamastami is also called Porua Astami: On this day, the first child of the house is adorned with new clothes, is venerated and is called Porua. A special puja is performed for the well being of the eldest child (be it son or daughter) which involves arati by the mother and relatives in which the maternal uncle sends the items necessary for the rituals. Lord Ganesha, Goddess Shashti Devi and the presiding deity of the family are worshipped as part of the rituals.

Prathamastami depends on the social belief that it is the eldest child who needs to take care of the family after the demise of the guardians and it is he or she who needs to proceed with the customs. The maternal uncles, who are called ‘Astami Bandhu’ present the child with new clothes along with sweets and delicacies.

“Although the custom is to celebrate the firstborn, in our family, the first and the second child are venerated, adorned with new clothes and worshipped. My elder broette is the Porua and I am the Duan. This ritual ends after completing the puja, and eating the widely loved enduri pitha/ haladi patra pitha,” shared Abhishek Mohanty, a resident of Cuttack.

In Odisha, there are several festivals that are beyond religion. Prathamastami is one of them. Sk. Anwar Ali, a resident of Cuttack shares his customs during Prathamastami. “In our family, we have been celebrating this festival for several generations now. I am the eldest among my siblings and my mother still pampers me with clothes and food to this day. The same treatment is received by my eldest son Asif and I also carry gifts and sweets for my sisters’ eldest child since I am the maternal uncle or Astami Bandhu. Such is the beauty of our state. Thankfully unlike other states, we aren’t part of any communal differences and love to live in harmony. Festivals like Parthamnastam, are one such reason,” shared the samaritan.

Food

It is the day of the very delicious, enduring, inimitable, mouth-watering ‘Enduri’ or ‘Haladi Patra Pitha’. Even as the world rediscovered the healing power of turmeric in the pandemic crisis, the time-tested, nature connected traditional wisdom has marked the season for ages, with the incredible goodness of turmeric and turmeric leaves.

“Turmeric and its most active compound curcumin have innumerable, scientifically-proven health benefits. From boosting our immune system, to preventing heart disease, its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are key to our well-being. And that it is the signature delicacy marking the day to celebrate the first arrival of a child speaks volumes for our culinary heritage,” shared Dr. Disha Sahoo.

“Special pitha called enduri or haladi patra pitha (a rice cake) filled with the mixture of jaggery, grated coconut and cheese (chhena) stuffing in the rice batter is wrapped in green turmeric leaves and steamed. This pitha made as an offering to Goddess Lakshmi, is distributed to near and dear ones. The pitha is first offered to Sasthi Devi , who is the protector of children,” shared Rina Das, a homemaker.

As the fragrance of the dumplings with a filling of grated coconut and jaggery, being steamed in haldi leaves, wafts through our homes across the state this day and through this season, let’s celebrate the festival of the firstborns with the preciousness of turmeric ever more.