Month long Rai Damodar Brata by Habishyalis was inaugurated at Sri Jagannath Temple in Koraput today

Rai Damodar brata by habisyali women was inaugurated at Sri Jagannath Temple , Koraput today .The temple management while taking forward the tradition have made arrangements for Free stay and Prasad Sevan for 110 elderly women habishyalis to do the brata for one month .These women have reached Koraput from different parts of Odisha .

Rai Damodar Brata (also known as the Habisiyali Brata or Radha Damodara Vrata) is a sacred month-long spiritual observance performed by Hindu women—particularly widows—in Odisha during the holy month of Kartika.

Key Rituals and Practices

• Worship: Devotees worship Lord Damodar, Goddess Rai (Radha), and Goddess Lakshmi at the base of the sacred Tulsi plant (Tulsi Chaura).

• Dietary Restrictions: Participants consume only one strict meal a day made of sun-dried rice (habisha), and renounce specific items like brinjals, select gourds, certain pulses, and leafy vegetables for the entire month.

• Early Morning Routines: Devotees wake up around 2:00 AM, take holy baths in sacred water tanks or rivers, and read the Kartika Mahatmya from the Padma Purana.

• Panchuka (Final Five Days): The last five days of Kartika are known as Baga Panchuka, during which special intense austerities are followed.

• Rai Damodar Besha: At the Shree Jagannath Temple , Lord Jagannath is adorned in a special traditional attire called the Rai Damodar Besha (or Radha Damodara Besha) during this period.

Rai Damodar Puja #panchuka Home » festivals » Rai Damodar Puja #panchuka According to this legend, Rai, the daughter of the leader of the temple priests (pandas...