We Odiyas are very proud of our culture...There is a phrase describing the number of festivals in Odisha, "Bara masa Tera parba" means, in twelve months there are thirteen festivals .... The series of festivals begins from Mahabisuva Pana Sankranti in April, the day when Odia new year begins ... Then Rajja , Rathayatra, Dussehra, Kartik purnima... and the list continues.... Here is the insights of Pana Sankranti or Odia New Year, through my memory lane...
"The month of April, when the spring has beautifully sprung, the sky is sunny & clear and the grass is growing greener", It marks the beginning of series of Festivals in Odisha.. which begins with Odia New year..also known as Maha Bishuva Pana Sankranti...It starts with the procession of Sun's entry into Aries(Mesha) also called Mesha Sankranti & falls on April 13 or 14 every year, on the first day of Odia solar calendar.
It is widely celebrated across Odisha.
The auspicious day begins with people visiting various temples & shrines and praying for prosperity & happiness..It is believed to be the b'day of Lord Hanuman also referred as Hanuman jayanti..
A traditional ritual observed during Pana Sankranti is theki, a water filled earthen pot with a small hole at the bottom, that is placed at the top, over the holy Tulsi plant(Chaunraa), to let the water drip on the holy plant..which symbolises to keep your body hydrated with the onset of summer.
The main attraction of Pana Sankranti, is the Bela Pana, a fruit drink, prepared with Bael( wood apple) , the pulp of which along with grated coconut, cottage cheese n few spices, is offered as Prasad to deities & then to others in Odia traditional culture.. Many interesting fables are associated with Pana, in Odia culture..There is a ritual of pana being offered to the holy Trinity Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra & Devi Subhadra in their daily offerings at Puri Shree Mandira, varieties includes dahi pana, mango pana, chhatua ( sattu) pana made with chhena,grated coconut, bananas & yoghurt.. On this day the majority of home wud be seen relishing traditional no onion-garlic platter of divine food.
I have fond memories of childhood on this auspicious day, while in Odisha… Early morning our home would be filled with the divine atmosphere ..the smoky heavenly aroma of incense stick, karpoora & jhuna and the smell of holy offerings.. would be our image of the day..then after doing puja at home we would visit Jagannath temple and Hanuman temple , to take blessings...That day the temple would also be decorated and people serving Pana all over. We would relish those Pana served in paper glasses.. At home, Maa wud prepare a lavishing spread of Muga khechudi, dalma, tomato khajuri khatta, stir fries & brinjal fritters, which is a delicious lunch platter without onion garlic, we use to savour on any auspicious or festival days.. Then in the evening, she would prepare delicious Bela Pana..& that wud be our appetizer of the day...
After coming to Pune, I used to miss these things & would often recreate it at home, keeping my cultures alive..which gives me immense pleasure..
Here I'm sharing the Bela Pana recipe that I relished... however I won't get bael here in pune that is rarely available.. so i make it with different fruits that i get access to....called Fruit Pana.. Here is the video link below
Ingredients
✅Bael( wood apple) - 1 large
✅Sugar/ jaggery - as needed ( if bael is sweet you need to adjust sugar
✅Water- 1 ltr
✅Cottage cheese/ chhena ( made of cow milk)- 1/2 cup
✅Banana - 1 nos
✅Grated coconut - ½ cup
✅Chopped fruits of your choice( apple, pomegranate, grapes) - ½ cup
✅Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
Instructions
Break the bael, & take out its pulp in a bowl.
In a large container, take water, put the bael pulps & mash it by hand discarding the seeds.
Add chhena, grated coconut, sugar, chopped banana & mix it nicely again, mashing it till it is mixed well..( it will be of crumbled type..not very fine.)
Add freshly pounded black pepper powder.
Add chopped fruits and mix.
Adjust sweetness accordingly and serve in tall glasses.. can add ice cubes.
Consume it fresh, immediately as it tends to discoloration & change in taste when kept for longer due to summer.
