Sital Sasthi : a festival of 400 years old tradition

The Sital Sasti is a 400 years old festival. Nobody knows when the festival begins in Sambalpur but the documents available with the temple of Lord Balunkeswar of Nandapara which was built in 1765 by than king Ajit Singh with the help of his army chief Akber Ray speaks the truth on the festival as Sital Sasti was performed in Sambalpur much prior to the construction of the temple. During that time it was organized with the royal patronage. 

According to the senior member of the society the festival has a long tradition in Sambalpur and the town is known else where because of the festival. It can not be exactly described when the festival was started in Sambalpur. But as per the tradition, I remember as the ancestor of Dibyasingh Mishra, the first trustee of the temple, we have been performing the role of      barapita (groom’s father) ,ever since the festival started in Sambalpur’s Nandapara” 86 years old Sarat Chandra Mishra said.

Historian said festival was started in 16^th century in a simple form at Samiya temple at Balibandha. According to historian, the festival was started to commemorate the victory of Athargadajat (18 garhs) by than Sambalpur king Baliyar Singh. Sambalpur was than dominated by Marathas. Brahmins were confined to warship of lords and no scope for commoner to enter the temple. With a grand procession on the street, the common man gets an opportunity to see lord.

“Subsequently the festival was organized at Bhubaneswari temple at Ramsagar bnadh. But that time the Brahmins of Sambalpur confined to Jharuapara and they were origin from Uttar Pradesh. They constructed Somnath temple at Jharuapara and began the marriage ceremony” eminent historian Gobind Narayan Agrawal argued. According to him, Brahmins from Puri were subsequently brought by the Royal family to counter local Brahmins. With the royal patronage the marriage ceremony was also started at Nandapara where a temple was constructed in the name of Balunkeswar.  

The Brahmin resides in Jharuapara is known as ‘Aranyak’ and Brahmin resides in Nandapara is known as “Utkaliya”. Though people of both places are socially and culturally powerful still there is a socio-cultural difference among them because of their different origins. “The sense of ‘rivalry’ and competitive mentality is perhaps the secret behind the festival that has been organized every year uninterruptedly”, said senior educationist Prof KC Panda.  

The centre point of the festival is that here goddess Parvati becomes the daughter a human being who performs the marriage like his own daughter with all possible rituals and customs. When father of lord Shiva is fixed and it is performed by a family in generation, father (kanyapita) of goddess Parvati changes every year. Yatra committees decide it from among the applicants.

Yatra is mainly organized in three temples of Jharuapara, Nandapara and Modipara. But over the past few year youths of several other places including Badbazar, Thakurpara and Budharaja have taken initiatives to begin Yatra in their respective places. “

The faith and believe among the locals to become the kanyapita to earn a berth in heaven makes the festival more popular. “My husband was seriously ill during 2004. We left his hope. We wished to perform the marriage of Parvati and he slowly recovered” Bisnupriya, wife of Himansu Sekher Nanda , Kanyapita of this year’s Nandapara Yatra committee said.  I do not have daughter so I intended to perform this. I am happy to become the father of maa Parvati this year, the kanyapita of Modipara Yatra Committee Akhyay Kumar Dora of Modipara said