Puo-juntia, Worship For Well Being of Son

Puo-juntia is a worship dedicated to ‘Sasthi Devi’. It is also known as ‘Dutibahana Osha’. The festival is observed in the districts of Western Odisha in India. Women fast throughout the whole day and offer worship in the evening together in groups. The worship is observed by mothers for the well being of their sons and daughters. Even women who do not have any offspring yet can practice this festival to get a blessed son. ‘Puo’ means son. ‘Juntia’ is a cotton lace that is offered to the God and then in the following day worn by the sons and the same is regarded as a blessing. On the following day women go to the nearby river or pond and perform certain more rites there and then in the house perform a small rite where they put the offerings on their sons to help him get blessing of the God. This rite is called ‘bandeibaa’.