Orissa Celebrates its Harvest Festival

The great thing about designing your holiday around regional events is that you get to experience the best of local flavours, along with sightseeing and relaxation. A great example of such an event is the upcoming Mondei Festival of Orissa’s Nabarangpur district.  

The pristine beach of Orissa.

A Time for Thanksgiving

The term ‘Mondei’ in the local dialect, like the Hindi work mandi, means market. As in the other indigenous communities, the tribals of the area rely on farm-produce to earn their livelihood. Therefore, the quality of the harvest, and their luck at the farmer’s market, is crucial to them making ends meet. The festival is their way of expressing gratitude for the bounty of harvest-time, and celebrating the communal trading of what they’ve grown. During the three-day festival, various tribes gather at the market, and go on to pay observance to a common deity.

At the internal block level, celebrations start a fortnight ahead. Some of the tribes that participate in the festival include the Gonds, Parajas, Bhotodas, Gadobas and the Kandhas. After the customary sale of their paddy, maize and vegetables, they pay respect to their deity. Once the rituals are done, it’s time for making merry with plenty of food, song and dance. They’re welcoming of outsiders participating in the festivities.

Highlights to look forward to are fairs where local crafts are paraded; the night-long tribal opera is a spectacle lovers of Indian theatre must experience; folk dances where tribal regalia are on display; and the feast that is indispensable to a celebration! Different parts of the district have their own cultural programmes. The District Council arranges some innovative and fun events like quiz-shows, kavi-sammelans (poet conferences), artisan stalls, art camps, development exhibitions and sport competitions.

A trip to the Konark Sun Temple is a must while in Orissa.

Local politicians are often invitees to the cultural presentations that become elaborate shows. The state government aims to make it a national festival given the potential it has to lure both domestic and overseas visitors. That’s reason enough for you to discover the ‘next big thing’ on the tourist map, before everyone else does!

Getting There

Nabarangpur is located north of Raipur and west of Bastar. Not only does it derive its cultural richness from the tribal presence, but from a relatively pristine environment. It abounds with historic temples, monuments and wildlife. These are all added incentives to make it to the Mondei festival.

The nearest railhead is at Jeypore, some 45 kilometres away. Alternately, regular bus services are available from Raipur about 320 kilometres off. Vishakhapatnam, at a distance of 260 kilometres, is the nearest airport. A number of homestays and small hotels are scattered across the district. Think ahead and plan a memorable holiday in Orissa with MakeMyTrip.com.