Prathamastami is a unique festival celebrated majorly in the state of Odisha and by Odias living in other states and abroad which is meant exclusively for the firstborns in the family. This ritual is a form of worship for the life and prosperity of the eldest child who is offered a lighted lamp ovation (Arati) by the senior female relatives or mother followed by elaborate rituals during which the Mantras are recited. The maternal uncle (Mamu) sends most of the items necessary for the rituals, and Ganesha, Shashti Devi, and the family deity are also worshipped on the day.
The celebration of Prathamastami falls on the dark half-eighth day – Ashtami – of the month of Margasira, according to the Odia calendar, occurring after the eight-day of Kartika Purnima.
Odisha has probably the most delicious cuisines in India, which remain unexplored to date. In Prathamastami, which is also called Padhuashtami, they make Enduri or Haldi Pitha. So, pithas are basically indigenous sweet delicacies to the state that have their own significance in every Odia festival. This particular pitha is wrapped in leaves of the Haldi (turmeric) plant, which as we know has antiseptic properties. Haldi consumed at the start of winter can boost immunity from cold-related diseases.
Pitha
As we all know, Lord Jagannath is the soul of Odisha and every celebration has its own unique place in the Puri temple. On this day, Lord Jagannath and his elder brother Balaram receive Podhua Bhara (Podhua meaning eldest child) which consists of loads of Enduri Pitha.
Firstborns surely have a special place in the parent’s hearts. And all this is probably done to pamper them as he/she is supposed to lead the family. But is being the eldest child all fun? LifeBeyondNumbers decided to ask a few people who had surprising testimonies to give.
“I’m an only child. So it is like any other day. The enduri pitha is one highlight of the day though. Being an only child is nothing special I will say. It’s just that you don’t have to share your things with anyone and neither does anyone take the share of the load of expectations that you are expected to fulfill.” – Pratyusha Mohanty
“It’s true that a first-born child is much pampered by the family. But as soon as your younger sibling is born all the attention shifts to him/her. Being the eldest child, you are expected to carry forward your family legacy and behave like a role model for your younger siblings. You have to assume a whole lot of responsibilities at an early age. This day not only reminds you of being special and important but also instills moral obligation and a sense of responsibility in you.” – Bhumija Das
“I cannot say that I am the eldest rather I am the firstborn. But yes being the firstborn is always special. You get the charm of everything starting from your grandparent’s love and love from all relatives at the same time. You get all the attention from them. Prathamashtami is indeed special because it makes you feel responsible.” – Shruti Mohanty
“Being an elder child means additional responsibility. However, people of the current generation don’t have much info about the day and the reason why we celebrate the day. What means to them is the perk of being an elder child is getting new clothes, special dishes, and doing pooja. The day is actually celebrated to mark the birthday of Balaram, and every elder child in a family is considered that special as Balaram.” – Nitesh Kumar.
We also found a couple of interesting thoughts on Quora.
“In a nutshell, you’re the Guinea pig of family, subjected to all social/emotional/educational experiments. The good part, you get to set an example for them. The bad part, examples set are not always good! If the decisions you’ve taken go well, your siblings are given examples of how amazing you are and how they should be like you. But if things go bad, your siblings are warned to get serious about their lives or they’ll end up being like you!” – Prerna Singh (Quora)
“By being the first child, your parents expect many things from you, want you to take responsibility of your family when they are not around, want you to be nice and good person so your little brothers and sisters learn something good from you, want you to be more social, to be more familiar with relatives and family friends, want you to be good at studies so you can take financial responsibility of your family.” – Himanshu Prajapati (Quora)
So? Being the eldest child is responsibilities, responsibilities, and responsibilities. Duh…
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