THREAD on #KumaraUtsaba, the festival which almost faded witt passage of time, it is observed at very few places now.

Kumara utsaba is celebrated on the Aswina Purnima or Sharat Purnima. The festival is
dedicated to Kumara (Kartikeya).
#KumaraUtsaba http://bit.ly/KumarUtsab 

It is observed throughout the State with regional variations. Like Raja festival, it is essentially a festival of unmarried girls though youngmen and community participate.
As a prelude to Kumara purnima, the month long Janhi osha is observed by unmarried girls. 2/n
#KumaraUtsaba

Starting from Bhadrava Purnima, they gather at the Tulashi chaunra every evening and decorate it with janhi (ridge gourd) flowers that bloom during this time.
On the purnima day, the girls worship Surjya, Chandra and Kartikeya in the hope of getting a groom as.. 3/n
#KumaraUtsaba

..beautiful and chivalrous as Kumara Kartikeya. They take bath early in the morning and observe fast. Wearing new clothes, they offer anjuli (offerings with palms folded) of Khai to Surjya. Thereafter till evening they spend the day in leisure playing Puchi.. 4/n
#KumaraUtsaba

..and other indoor games.
Towards the evening, they prepare Chanda Chakata by mixing the Khai, Ukhuda, Sugarcane, Banana, Cucumber, Gua with Chhena (cottage cheese) and Guda (jaggery) giving it in a flat round or creasant shape as that of Chandra. 5/n
#kumarpurnima #KumaraUtsaba

When Chandra appears, they carry the Chanda Chakata to a nearby river or pond and looking at the reflection of Chandra on the water offer it to him while praying to bless. And they collect the shells of snails' and oysters' as token of fortune for their groom. 6/6
#kumarpurnima