The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.281

v2.c17.s1.281

Periodical festivals arise either from astronomical causes or from a desire to perpetuate the memory of some notable event in the history of a particular religion. The former are universal; the latter local and particular. Adverting to the former, Wilson, in his excellent paper on the *Religious Festivals of the Hindus*, says, 'The universal festivals, which are probably traceable among all nations elevated above barbarism and which may have been handed down by tradition from the earliest periods in the history of the human race, are manifestly astronomical, and are intended to commemorate the revolutions of the planets, the alterations of the seasons, and the recurrence of cyclical intervals of longer and shorter durations'⁶⁴. In either case they rapidly give a strong hold on the mind of the masses, and, once established, they hold on with great tenacity and defy the attempt of reformers and the influence of changes in the forms of religion. Hence it is that they turn up under the most untoward and unexpected circumstances. This is specially the case with the festivals celebrated in honour of Jagannātha, and among them we have some that are universal, others particular, and a great many traditional, which have been handed down by its priests. Following Uriya calendar beginning with the month of Agrahāyaṇa, (November-December) the first festival or Yātrā occurs on the 6th of the waxing moon and is the same with the Prāvaraṇotsava of Bhuvaneśvara (*ante*, p. [78]). At Puri it is called :