Sambalpur: With the marriage of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati being solemnised as per the Vedic rituals with much pomp and fervor, the grand homecoming procession of the Divine Couple moved around this city from Thursday midnight to Friday evening as the famous Sital Sasthi festival draws to an end. Several people from across western Odisha gathered to witness the divine marriage. The entire western Odisha was tastefully decorated for the marriage. Human beings performed the role of parents of Goddess Parvati and offered the hands of Parvati to Lord Shiva. “It was not a festival for us. We feel like giving the hands of our real daughter to the Lord Mahadev,” said Jyoti Sahu and Girija Shankar of Ainthapali who performed as parents of Goddess Parvati on the premises of Mahamaya Mandir of Fatak this year.
Lord Shiva came in a grand procession accompanied by local deities, local people, and several performing artists for the marriage. Marriage of the Lord has been completed in all the places and the ‘Divine Couple’ are giving ‘Jugal Darshan’ to the devotees, which is treated to be a very auspicious one.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was in the town to witness the ‘Jugal Darshan’ in all the places where ‘Siba Bibah’ was performed. The grand homecoming procession of the Couple moved around the city from midnight Thursday to the evening of Friday. Thousands of artists from all over the country are scheduled to take part in the procession.