Raja Parba
Odisha's 3-day festival of womanhood and the Earth's menstruation.
Gregorian date
15 June 2026
Monday
Tithi
Sun enters Gemini (solar — three-day festival starting Pahili Raja)
Jyeshtha (May – June)
Duration
3-day
Regional emphasis
Odisha
Also known as
Raja Sankranti · Mithuna Sankranti
Significance
Mid-June solar festival celebrating Bhudevi (Mother Earth) — believed to menstruate in these three days, after which monsoon rains arrive. Women take a break from household chores; swings (doli) are hung in villages; girls play with their mothers and sisters.
What happens on the day
- •Day 1 (Pahili Raja): early-morning oil bath, women rest
- •Day 2 (Mithuna Sankranti): swings + traditional games
- •Day 3 (Basi Raja): final play day, then Earth-bath ceremony
- •Eat Poda Pitha (baked rice cake) — the signature Raja dish
- •Mehendi + new clothes for unmarried girls
About the month of Jyeshthaज्येष्ठ
Pre-monsoon heat. Hosts Vat Savitri (married women fast for husbands' longevity) and Ganga Dussehra (descent of Ganga to earth).
More festivals in Jyeshtha
Snana Yatra
29 May 2026 · Shukla Purnima
The day Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are bathed at Puri.
Vat Savitri
29 May 2026 · Shukla Purnima
Married women fast for their husbands' longevity.
Ganga Dussehra
13 June 2026 · Shukla Dashami
The day Ganga descended from heaven to earth.
Ambubachi Mela
22 June 2026 · Mithuna Sankranti + 7 (solar; ~3rd day of Mithuna)
The annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya — Tantric pilgrimage at Guwahati.