Gahma Purnima or Gahma Parva is an important as well as joyous festival celebrated all over Odisha. It has both social as well as economical relevance. The full moon day of the month of Sravana, corresponding to the month of July-August in English, is celebrated as Gahma Purnima or Go Purnima. Socially, the day is celebrated as day of Rakhi Bandhna. It is a beautiful and divine social tradition through which the love and attention between sisters and brothers is reflected. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated all over India. In every Hindu household of India, sisters tie Rakhis or colourful threads of different designs in the hands of their brothers and offer the sweets. As a token of their love towards their sisters, brothers give them gifts of different kind. But the underlying relevance of the festival lies in the fact that Rakhi or the thread of sisterly love stands for a sister’s unwritten but affectionate agreement with her brothers, for guarding her security and safety during the time of need by her brothers. As this is an Indian festival, the Raksha Bandana is celebrated also in Odisha with great enthusiasm.

In Orissa, the Gahma Purnima has a great relevance with economic life of the people which mainly rest upon  agriculture  and  cattle. In the Indian tradition, which is continuing since very ancient time, the animal and plants are considered very beneficial for the life of human beings on this earth. Hence, they are paid with due reverence on different occasions. On the day of Gahma Purnima the cattle are worshipped by the agriculturalists in Odisha. Therefore, the occasion is also called as Go Purnima. For Indian formers, bullocks are most precious possessions. By the time of Gahma Purnima, generally the ploughing of fields with the help of bullocks is completed. For their service, bullocks are venerated by the farmers on this day of Go Purnima. On this occasion, the cattlesheds are cleaned and walls are decorated with the pictures of bullocks, bullock carts, ploughs and other agricultural implements. Bullocks are bathed and decorated with flowers and sandal wood paste. Their horns  are cited or coloured. Backs of the bullocks are covered with new clothes and they are offered rice-cakes and pulses to eat. Farmers performs all the rituals during the occasion and do no need  the help of any priest for it.

Besides cattle, the God of the agriculture, Baladeva or Balaram, the elder brother of Lord Srikrishna, is also worshipped. According to the Hindu tradition, Balaram invented plough and blessed the people with the methods of agriculture. So, bullock is said to be his vehicle and plough is described as his weapon in the Hindu scriptures such as Puranas. Therefore, He is worshipped as the God of agriculture on this day and the festival is also known as Baladeva Puja or Baladeva Jayanti.