The Rainy Season is also known as Wet Season. This season starts from the mid of the June and continues up to the last of October. There are most of deep depression, cyclone, flood occurred during this season.

The Official time for the Rainy season is mid June to mid August, two months, but it includes up to mid of the September. But in Odisha, it lasts up to the end of the October. People use to consider Durga Puja and Laxmi Puja as the end of the Rainy Season and Diwali as the welcoming time for the winter.

For many countries of the world, all the seasons are defined by the temperature of that place, like warm summer months and cold winter months. For those countries which lie nearer to the equator, the seasons become defined by wetter weather or drier weather, as the temperatures vary little though out the year.

The beauty of Mother Earth blooms in this season. From June 17, after Raja Parba the cultivation process starts in Odisha. In this season, all the trees turn in to green with new leafs. 

The season's raining started now and all are getting wet. School going students are enjoying the journey from home to school and school to home, where as elders are getting irritated from the rain. Yes, most of the people weren't happy due to deficient of rain and now they are also.

With this happy mode, we are sharing some beautiful snaps of the nature clicked during rains. Look how flowers are looking in this rain and how rain drops are looking beautiful.

* All these photos are taken by Suryakam Dey.

Odisha is considered one of the most beautiful states of India for the jungles, lakes, waterfalls, hill areas, etc. The actual beauty of Odisha comes out in the Rainy Season.  Here we have shared some beautiful photos of Odisha from the three Major Districts which are considered to be the most beautiful districts of the state.

Rayagada is a district of meadows, forests, waterfalls and terraced valleys, peopled by many primitive tribal groups. The scenic beauty and heritage on the land is an unexplored paradise.

The pattern of people living in the district show unity in diversity of races, languages, and culture. The Scheduled Tribes living in the district possess dissimilar economics ranging from food gathering to settled cultivation. Their languages/dialects, societies and culture show inter-societal and -cultural variations because of the ethnic mosaic.

The Kalahandi region had a glorious past and great civilization in ancient time. Archaeological evidence of stone age and Iron Age human settlement has been recovered from the region. Asurgarh offered an advanced, well civilized, cultured and urban human settlement about 2000 years ago in the region. In South Asia, it is believed that the lands of Kalahandi district and Koraput district were the ancient places where people started cultivation of paddy. 

Koraput is a part of the tribal belt in southern Odisha. As the term 'tribal' often denotes a negative connotation, the indigenous people here prefer to be known as Adivasis, i.e. "original inhabitants". Many different Adivasi communities live in this district. This place is known as the Heaven on Earth for the scenic beauties.

* All these photographs are taken by Alisa Sahu.

* She had shared these on her Twitter handle, and all are posted here with her knowledge. If you wish to share these, then please take the appropriate permission from her.

* Some contents are taken from Wikipedia.

Further Reading:

• On the Way to Kolab Dam
• Sunki Ghati, Koraput
• Journey from Raygada to Sunabeda
• Phurlijharan, Kalahandi
• Chatar Jatra 

Chitalagi Amavasya is also known as Chitau Amabasya (Odia: ଚିତଉ ଅମାବାସ୍ୟା) celebrated on Srabana Amavasya (July–August according to the Georgian Calendar). On this day, a special ritual celebrated oat Jagannath Temple, Puri. The gold and precious stone set Chitas those are removed from the deities on the Snana Purnima (Snana Yatra) night are again adorned on them on this day.

A very special rice-cake known as Chitau or Chitou pitha is offered to the deity on this day. This Pitha is also prepared in every Odia family in the coastal districts.

In rural areas, this festival is observed as well in a different form. On this day, the farmers worship the paddy-fields. In the morning the farmers go to their paddy-fields with pitha or bhoga, flowers, milk, etc and pray the fields for a good harvest.

In some places of Odisha, people used to feed Chitau Pitha to the snails. Since the farmers use to work with bare-foot, there is a chance of attack by the snails through their sharp edges, so to make them happy, people observe this Ritual and praying them.

* All these photos are taken by Manaswini Sahoo and Srinibas Samal.

Dagara Beach, one of the scenic beach in Balasore, Odisha that draws local tourists during weekends. The best part of the beach is less crowded unlike the beaches of Puri or Konark. Mainly, the beach is famous for the red crabs, silvery sand, and Casuarina evergreen trees. It is one of the few beaches from which both sunrise and sunset can be viewed over the Bay of Bengal. 

Visitors come to enjoy the pleasant picnic areas, especially around the Christmas and New Year holiday season, which is known as the best picnic time in Odisha or India. Fishing by small boats with the local fishing flock is very popular here.

Dagara Beach is relatively unknown beyond the states of Odisha and West Bengal, but the state government is taking measures to promote tourism in the area. Recently, a beach festival has been launched.

The Dagara Beach Festival attracts thousands of visitors from the state of Odisha and neighboring West Bengal. The festival is a platform for performing artists and connoisseurs of classical dance.

The local city from here is Jaleswar which is 40 kilometers away. And it's just 45 kilometers away from Digha, the very famous Beach of Balasore and West Bengal. And the main town of the district Balasore is just 62 kilometers away from this beach.

• All these photographs are taken by Surykam Dey.

Raksha Bandhan is a popular, traditionally annual ceremony for Hindus. This festival is mainly popular in India. Another same festival celebrated with the same rituals also with the same name Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan in some other parts of Asian Countries as well as the countries, who are influenced by Hinduism.

On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman, or amulet, called the rakhi or Raksha Suta, around the wrists of their brothers, symbolically protecting them. So, the brother gives his word to protect her. But, now the girl power has increased and they can protect them by themselves, so they are demanding gifts in return (this is just for fun), and traditionally investing the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care.

Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August. The expression "Raksha Bandhan" came from Sanskrit literally, where Raksha means protection, obligation or care, and Bandhan refers to the advance for the protection. Actually, the brother is the best protector for her sister and "the bond of protection, obligation, or care," has principally applied to this ritual.

According to Hindu Mythology, this ritual started by Panchali Draupadi, the queen of Pandavs, when she tied a thread on the finger of Lord Krishna and Lord Krishna saved her from the Kauravas by giving cores of Sarees, while they were trying to undress her. There are some more stories relates to this ritual like Indra Dev & Sachi, King Bali & Goddess Lakshmi, Santoshi Maa, Yama & the Yamuna, etc.

This festival is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Jains, Sikhs. Jains priests give ceremonial threads to the devotees on this day and Sikhs celebrate this as "Rakhardi" or Rakhari.

In 2019, we are going to celebrate Raksha Bandhan on 15th August on the day of Independence. For that reason, the temporary Rakhi Stores are opening and sisters are buying Rakhi for the brothers, and some girls are also buying Rakhi for their elder sister's husband since they are like brothers to sisters.

The Chitrakoot or Chitrakote waterfalls (Hindi: चित्रकोट जलप्रपात) is a natural waterfall on the Indravati River. It is located to the west side of Jagdalpur, in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This place is just 38 kilometers away from Jagdalpur town.

The height of this fall is about 95 ft or 29 meters. It is known as the widest fall in India. Because of its width and wide-spread during the monsoon season, it looks like Niagara Falls.  And the tourists are not allowed to the downside in the monsoon.

We had visited this place on the 25th of January in 2015. And all these photographs are taken by the member of our club.

Danda Jatra or Danda Nata or Danda Yatra (Odia: ଦଣ୍ଡ ଯାତ୍ରା / ଦଣ୍ଡ ନାଟ) is one of the ancient dance forms of Odisha, originated from Galleri and Baibelli village of Ghumushar. This dance is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Maa Mahakali. Now-a-days, this festival is celebrating in different places of Ganjam and Gajapati district from 13 to 21 days in the Month of Chitra according to the Odia calender. 

Danda Jatra was the one dance organizing during the month of Chaitra at Taratarini Temple, but people wished to perform at their own places, so started at their village. Then it speeded with others.

Danda Jatra is mainly celebrated in the month of Chaitra according to the Odia calender which is in the month of March and April according to the Georgian Calendar. After 6 days of the Sankranti, they took 4 days to prepare for the Yatra. 

It's 21 days of Jatra from which, the first 8 days are known as Jhamu Jatra and the rest 13 days are known as Danda Jatra. The Jatra ends on the Vishuba Sankranti which is known as Pana Sankranti in Odisha. This festival is also known as Meru Yatra.

For the Danda Jatra, there are lots of people who used to join for this dance form. All the participants are known as Dandua and the leader of one group is known as Pata Dandua.

The Pata Dandua used to have fasted and he only eats snacks and juices. And the Danduas used to have only one meal which is pure veg and they prepare their meal for themselves. 

The dance is known as Danda Nata, where Danda refers to a stick and Nata refers to Dance which formed from Natrja. 

The Danduas used to play some music using Dholas which is one of the old musical instrument. During these 13 days of Danda Jatra, Danudas along the Pata Dandua used to travel from village to villages to perform the Danda Nata.

Previously we had discussed about Pakhala bhata on our previous blogs. We Odias celebrate Pakhala Dibasa on March 20, every year to welcome summer. On our previous blog, we had shared the ideas why we had celebrated on March 20, what is Pakhala, etc.

Here on this blog, we are presenting some side items we could have with Pakhala shared by Smruti Ranjan Sahoo.

During the summer season, we should have Pakhala almost every day. Some people also have Pakhala in every meal from breakfast to dinner.

Pakhala Bhata is authentically served with a platter of side dishes.