All the festivals in Odisha are related to Season, Religion and Social. Among these festivals some festivals are related to Agriculture. Such as Akhaya Tritiya is celebrated at the beginning of Agriculture or farming. In the month of Tula Garvana Sankranti festival is celebrated.
Tula Sankranti is one of the twelve sankrantis of a Hindu Panchang or calendar. Tula Sankranti is also known as Garbhana or Garvana Sankranti. It is celebrated as an auspicious occasion on the first day of the Kartika month in the Hindu Solar panchang. It also coincides with Mahastami.
All over India, Tula Sankranti is celebrated with significance attached to social, cultural, and religious aspects. It is especially considered very auspicious in the states of Odisha (Orissa) and Karnataka. In Karnataka, the Coorg or the Kodagu district celebrates Tula Sankramana with much bang and bustle and reverence being paid to Goddess Cauvery originating at Tala Cauvery.
In Odisha, the day of Tula Sankranti earmarks the milestone of that year in the life of the farmers, as the labor of their day-to-day toil in the agricultural fields is rewarded by the mature paddy fields pregnant with tiny corns in their womb. The name Garbhana Sankranti is attributed to the time of fertilization of the corn in the fields. The farmers see Goddess Lakshmi – the authority of Wealth, Prosperity and Fertility – in the rice plants. They worship Goddess Lakshmi with offerings of rice and paddy taken fresh from their paddy fields. In some parts of Odisha, farmers also offer ’Wheat’ grains and branches of ‘Kara’ plants to Goddess Lakshmi and then take them to their agricultural fields for plantation. This custom is practiced with a determination to reduce the incidence of flood and drought in their village as well as protect their crops from insects and pests. Another important custom popular among villagers is that they measure rice, wheat and pulses with the hope that all through the year they might be able to measure the produce adequately due to high yield of these crops.
Garvana Sankranti is celebrated in the month of October. We all know that the meaning of Garva is fertilizing or Bhruna. So on this day the paddy or rice tree starts Garva. So on this day if anyone puts the garva paddy in field then the production will be more on that year. In some areas the garva tree is known as Ankaranti Tree. There is also a good odia line : –
Age Bunu Pachhe Bunu,
Garvana ku Tunutunu.