Dhenkanal: On the occasion of Kumar Purnima, 11-day-long Laxmi Puja celebrations commenced Saturday in Odisha’s Dhenkanal.
This year as many as 38 puja pandals have been set up in the city. Due to lunar eclipse of October 28, all the puja mandaps have initiated their puja rituals from 7am.
Following ‘Surya Puja’ (worship of the Sun), water taken from a nearby river in clay pots was installed in the mandaps, after which the goddess was invoked in the ‘homayagna’ (fire pit).
The festival has come alive with resonance of chants, beating of drums, conch shells and musical instruments, making the entire city bustling with energy. Large decorative arches have been installed in various locations, resembling the Kedarnath Temple and the Adiyogi Peetha.
This year’s Laxmi Puja is going on with great fanfare in different parts of Dhenkanal city such as Sri Maudmani Rajalakshmi Puja Pratishthan, Jawahar Chowk, Laxmi Bazar among others.
At Minabazar, Laxmi Bazar and Ganesh Bazar pandals, goddess Laxmi has been adorned with gold crown with a silver tableau. There is also silver tableau at Kaivalya Bazaar and Gudiya Naali puja mandaps.
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Pandals based on the themes of the Bahanaga train accident, elephant and forest protection have also been showcased.
Next to putting up magnificent pandals, light, sound and decorations have been the major focus area for all committees. To ensure the safety and security of the celebration, 25 platoons of police forces have been deployed in the town.
PNN