RAYAGADA
THE PARADISE UNEXPLORED
Local Foods
The food in this paradise is a bliss to the tastebuds.
Pakhala
Pakhala is a rice dish prepared by simply adding water to cooked rice which is then allowed to ferment overnight. This dish kept overnight is called Basi Pakhala. Before fermentation, the dish is called Saja Pakhala and is served along with onions, curd, green chillies, etc. It is majorly consumed in the summer to cool off the body temperature and the stomach. There are various versions of this all over the eastern states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, etc.
It helps prevent the occurrence of a heat stroke in hot and extreme conditions of the summer. It is a traditional Oriya dish prepared occasionally even prepared with rice, curd, cumin seeds, fried onions, etc. and served along with a side of greens, roasted vegetables and fried fish.
Dalma
Dalma is a unique lentil dish originating from Orissa. It is prepared with lentil and vegetables. The lentil of choice is usually toor ki dal and the vegetables such as green papaya, brinjal, pumpkin, etc. are chopped and added to it. It is further garnished with spices and tempered with Panch Phutana. A lot of existing varieties of this dish exist and many of them occasionally have a sour Sāmbhar like taste to them.
Santula
Santula is a simple vegetable dish from Orissa, where the ingredients such as potatoes, ladyfingers, brinjal, and other vegetables are boiled together and then fried in oil along with garlic, onion and green chillies. This dish is extremely easy to digest and is not spicy. The preparation can be of two types, Bhaja Santula where the vegetables are fried and Sijha Santula where the vegetables are boiled.
Kadali manja rai
There’s a lot of cooking done with the banana and its family in the entire eastern belt. Kadali Manja Rai is an extremely delectable dish prepared from the banana plant stem along with mustard seeds. The ‘Manja’ in the name refers to the banana stem and is in fact used in Dalma too.
Mandiya
Ragi Malt or Ragi Ambli is a popular healthy drink made in Rayagada during summer to hydrate and cool down bodies. It is made using ragi powder and buttermilk and is a perfect drink to sip on warm summer days. It can also be given to babies from 6 months onwards and it is very healthy for them
Besara
Oriyas use a lot of mustard in their dishes, whether as a means of tempering of as a paste to form the base of the curry. Besara is one such dish, where an assortment of vegetables in prepared in mustard paste curry. The dish is necessarily tempered with Panch Phutana.
Local Festivals
Chaiti Fair
Chaiti Festival" also known as "Rayagada Mahotsav" is the ceremonial annual crowd cultural festival of Rayagada district, India. it is one among the major tourist attractions in the district.Very often the festival is followed by the Pallishree Mela of Orissa Rural Development & Marketing Society (ORMAS).The Chaiti Festival is main tourist attraction of Rayagada.
Kandula Festival
The densely forested, tribal inhabited area of Rayagada district are abuzz with the music of the dhol (traditional drums) and mahuries(traditional pipes), and their tattlings especially during the festival days. The spirits are at the peak when the festival is on.
The Kandula festival is an annual festival and is celebrated with great fervour by primitive tribal groups such as Lanjia Saura, Shabar and Kondhliving.
The elderly celebrate the occasion by drinking handia(traditional country liquor) and dancing all day where as the younger lot wear new clothes and dance to the tunes of different musical instruments. The uniqueness of this festival is that different parts of the district celebrate it on different days. The priest of the village decides the schedule of the festival in their village.