IN ORISSA, FESTIVALS ARE CELLBRATED IN THEIR OWN DISTINCT WAY, JUST AS THEY ARE IN THE REST OF INDIA
Of the great temples of Orissa, the great poet Rabindranath Tagore once said, "At all places where the eye rests, and also at places where the eye does not rest, the busy chisel of the artiste has worked incessantly.
The abode of god has been enveloped by a variety of figures depicting the good and the evil, the great as well as the insignificant, the daily occurrences of human life..

." THE HISTORY OF BHUBANESWAR goes a long way back, and the etymology of the word is variously, "abode of god," or "master of the universe", or, more accurately, "cathedral of the east", on account of the many temples and shrines that one finds here. Bhubaneswar was at one time the ancient capital of the Kalinga Empire, as it is the capital of Orissa now. About 500 temples border the Bindusagar tank, all crafted in the intricate Oriya style.
Orissa's rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted traditions are evident in the festivals, which are celebrated with great energy and reverence by the people. Festivals all over the country are celebrated in their own distinct way, and Orissa is no different in this respect. SPRINGTIME is a joyous event in India-it is a time for rejuvenation, of the burgeoning of flora and fauna. According to the Hindu calendar, chaitra is the equivalent of spring, that is, the months March-April.

In Bhubaneswar, in the month of chaitra, one festival that is celebrated with great pomp is Ashokashtami, which is celebrated on the chaitra shukla ashtami, or in the month of April. The deity who is propitiated is Lord Lingaraj, or Lord Shiva. Ashokashtami is a festival of Lord Shiva, and it is celebrated with great pomp and 'ervour in Bhubaneswar. It is a chariot Festival dedicated to Lord Lingaraj. On the eighth day of the month of Chaitra, that is generally on 8 April, the idol of Sri Chandrasekhara, who is the representative lefty of Lord Lingaraj, is taken out of the temple precincts and is drawn out on a chariot to its destination, the temple of Rameswara. Thousands of devotees throng the streets to watch the Lord's chariot drive.

There is an ancient legend related to the origins of this festival. According to myth, Lord Ram was unable to kill the demon king Ravan, as the latter enjoyed Goddess Kali's divine protection. But on Vibhishana's (Ravana's younger brother) advice, Ram propitiated Goddess Kali, praying for seven long days, for Ravan's mortality. When the goddess granted Ram his wish, and Ravan became vulnerable, it became easy for Ram to kill him with his Brahmastra, the lethal weapon of Lord Brahma. Lord Ram celebrated his victory by taking out Lord Shiva and the Goddess Durga in a chariot. It is said that the festival is being observed from that day onwards. Since Ram's shoka, or sorrow, was over with the death of Ravan, the day is known as ashoka, or without sorrow, hence Ashokashtami, or the festival without sorrow. Another reason attributed to the festival is Parvati's reunion with Lord Shiva on this day. Parvati, therefore, was ashoka, or without sorrow, and hence the festival, Ashokashtami.