Sheetal shashti puja of West Bengal

The day after saraswati puja festival is a customary for Bengals to eat a special dish called Gota Sheddho( Which means Whole Boiled). Gotta Sheddho means the vegetables are not cut and boiled with a wholegrain dal. It is very good for health and cooked without spices, oil, onion or garlic. Main tradition of this puja is that whatever boiled on the day of saraswati puja or Vasanta panchami , it will eaten on the next day by mothers. This ritual is mainly observed by the Bengali mothers wishing for long healthy life of their children.

Sitala Maa

Shitala Mata is the form of goddess Katyayani( a part of Durga Maa). Worshiping her gives coolness and relief from fever, measles and small pox. On this day mothers wear the new cotton sari and perform the puja rituals and family members enjoy the boiled prasad.  

First Puri Beach Carnival Festival.

The Puri Beach Carnival festival is a celebration of the art, craft, culture, sports, cuisines and other aspects of tourism of Orissa. On a single platform witness the cultural heritage of not just Orissa but from other states. The Puri beach carnival starts from January 20th to January 26th.

Beach Carnival Festival Puri
Image: eodisha.org

Paush purnima festival celebrated in odisha at Lord Jagannath Temple

Pushyabhishek or Paush purnima is an important festival and performed at the world famous Lord Jagannath temple in odisha in paush month or paush masa. Paush purnima held on  January 12th. This festival is observed on paush purnima or the full moon day in the month of January. Several devotees come to puri for the darshan of the three deity . On this day Lord Jagannath , Balabhadra and Mother Shubhadra wears the New Khandua Silk sari and decorated with colorful flowers garland.

"Samudra Aarati" performed by Puri
 Jagadguru Sankaracharya.
Image Source: orissakhabara

There  is a belief that Lord Jagannath, Maa Shubhadra and Lord Balaram , other Gods, Goddess, Devas and saints assembled near the sea at puri. Therefore sea is worshiped on that day. On the day special pujas are observed  for peace and prosperity for all living beings on the earth.

MAKAR SANKRANTI CELEBRATION IN ODISHA

In Odisha "Makar Sankranti" or "Makar Mela" is celebrated in a very good way and with full rituals. Every People in home and on temples prepare the makara chaula (uncooked newly harvested rice, banana, coconut, jaggery, sesame,  Khai and chhena, sugar cane , adrak offer to gods and goddesses) this is an important festival of odisha. Therefore, this festival holds an important traditional cultural significance for peoples, so people like this festival and enjoy by celebrating it. All over India people fly the colorful kites in the sky on this festival. People wears the new clothes and pray to god for well wishes of their family.

In India this festival is celebrated in different names and in different states like chhattisgarh, Goa, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, kerela, Madhaya Pradesh, Maharastra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Sikkim, west Bengal etc. In Tamil Nadu this festival is known as Pongal, and in Punjab it is called as Lohri. 

Love this festival too much. Happy Makar Sankranti.