Budhei Osha, Budhi Bamana Osa

Budhei Osha, popularly known as Budhi Bamana, is a festival celebrated every Wednesday in the month of Bhadrab. Budhibaman is a local god capable of granting eyes to the blind, children to the childless, and curing leprosy and other virulent diseases. Budhei is worshipped every Wednesday of the Bhadrab month. The curry stone, adorned with vermilion, collyrium, and flowers, is offered to God. According to the myth, a wine merchant’s wife was cured of leprosy. Five of his sons were killed by a king, and then life was restored for all. The angry King could not harm her, for God is much more powerful than any human being. A Brahmin woman prayed to God for relief from labor pains and easy delivery. She was relieved of the same by a dose of medicine administered by God on the condition that she fast regularly. After worshipping God, a pregnant woman forgot to fast after giving birth. So God got angry and kidnapped. The child and only restored him to the lady after. Since then, people started performing Budhei Osha, which is still observed by some people in Odisha.