Sunia – an important festival of Puri Dham
Sunia, a Hindu festival in Odisha, is rich with high religious, cultural and historical significance.
Although there are two opinions regarding how the festival got its name, the first one seems more convincing. According to it, the term Sunia is a combination of the prefix su- meaning ‘good’ and verb nia- meaning ‘taking’. The ‘giving and taking’ relates to the revenue collection from the subjects in the past. The collection was carried out on this day, which made the kings pleased and the subjects relaxed as they paid their dues. Some People also gave gifts to the king to express their love for him. So Sunia literally refers to a day on which things are taken and given on good terms. The second opinion relates it only to the birth date of the King Indradyumna, though the reason behind such a connection is not clear.
As a festive day, Sunia is considered auspicious particularly to commence important tasks. First reason is that it falls on Bhadraba shukla paksha dwadashi, [the twelfth day of the new moon fortnight or the ‘waxing moon’ in the month of Bhadraba that is between August and September] a day that commemorates the famous incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a vamana [a dwarf]. Therefore, it is otherwise known as Vamana Dwadashi. Secondly, It is also the same day on which Lord Vishnu is believed to change side during his slumber, as a sign of his being just on the surface of wakefulness. Such a state of the Lord suggests that there is a good time a-coming. Hence, it is favourable to begin any important activity.
Sunia has been a highly important day for the kings of Puri. At the king’s place, a special ceremony for the king called the Abhisheka is observed on this day along with the announcement of the New Year. The royal calendar used this day as the New Year’s Day to make up the wheel of the administrative year and is still in practice at Puri in the royal family. The kings, in the old days, considered the day suitable to carry out important administrative activities like the introduction of new gold coins, collection of revenue from the subjects and preparation for new invasions. So, the importance of the day is inseparable from the history of Odisha.
The festival is no less important an event for the common people. It is the New Year’s Day for them too. People of different trades begin their work on this day hoping to excel and succeed in their fields.
In addition to the 1st of January and a day in mid-April [usually the 14th known as Maha Vishuva Sankranti] observed respectively as the global and local New Year ’s Day, Sunia is observed in Odisha as the New year’s day that seems native to the state. While the other two are merely calendric, Sunia is inextricably intertwined with the religious, cultural and regal practices extant in various parts of Odisha and, needless to say, more predominantly In Puri.