Traditions & Practices
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Akshaya Trutiya
This festival is celebrated on the third day of the brilliant fortnight of the lunar month of Vaishakha (April). This important festival is held in every farming household in Odisha. It is considered the most auspicious day and is characterized by the ceremonial sowing of paddy in the field. 'Bhog'/'Prasad' is offered to Sathi—the goddess of destiny. Religious scriptures testify that Ganga, the sacred river of India landed on the Earth on this day from heaven. She is the perennial source of water, which is the basic need for agriculture. Therefore, this favorable day was chosen to start sowing seeds.
Contributed by CEE East
Ankik Gudhna or the Tattoo Art of Chhattisgarh
For the Adivasis or the tribals of Chhatisgarh the tattoo marks have a social importance and so they widely practice this art of tattooing. Though the tattooing is done almost all over the body it is forbidden on the waist and the hips.
Ahar Pyne
This traditional floodwater harvesting system is indigenous to south Bihar. The technique comprised of a channel (locally named as pyne) diverts water from rivers to a tank (ahar) from where it is distributed to the fields. Rivers in this region swell only during the monsoon, but the water is swiftly carried away or percolates down into the sand. All these factors make floodwater harvesting the best option here, to which this system is admirably suited.
Apatani Paddy-Fish Cultivation
The Apatani practice aquaculture alongwith rice farming on their plots. Rice - fish culture in the valley is a unique practice in the state where two crops of rice (Mipya and Emoh) and one crop of fish (Ngihi) are raised together.
Applique Works
This traditional patchwork art—applique has a long history in Odisha. The art form is typically dependent on four basic colours i.e., red, white, black and yellow to produce a striking effect. In recent years, green colour and embroidery work has been applied vigorously enlivening the craft even more.
Arjuna Nritham
Arjuna nritham (the dance of Arjuna) is a ritual art performed by men in the Bhagavathy temples of Kottayam and Alleppey districts of Kerala. Arjuna, considered the most handsome of the Pandava brothers, was believed to have been trained in music and dance by the celestial nymphs. After the Kurukshetra war, it is said that he performed this dance to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakali.
Aranmula Kannadi
Aranmula kannadi (mirror) is a special type of mirror produced in Aranmula, a village in Alleppey district of Kerala. It is a legacy of the ancient metallurgical and craft tradition of the state.