Bhubaneswar: Festive spirit continued to remain high in Odisha where puja pandals are all decked up for Laxmi Puja to begin from Sunda evening.
After Dussehra, the next important festival that is celebrated with community participation in the state is Gajalaxmi Puja or Laxmi Puja. The puja committees put up massive pandals and instal huge idols of Goddess Laxmi decorated with silver and gold ornaments.
As people go on pandal hopping, the entire area wears a festive look with bright colours of light, blaring of music, food stalls of different delicacies, Meena Bazaar having giant wheel, merry-go-round and other fun games. In some places, musical programmes are organised as the celebration goes late into night for several days.
As per tradition, it Goddess Laxmi, who is worshipped as Goddess of Wealth is worshipped on Purnima (full moon day) of Aswin month in Odia calendar. It falls exactly 5 days after Dasami of Navratri of Dussehra. Another festival, Kumar Purnima, is also celebrated on this day though it is mostly a private affair. This year, the mahurat for the Laxmi puja starts at 6 pm and will continue till midnight as per the almanac.
Among the cities that witness community celebration of Laxmi Puja in the state, Dhenkanal stands out as the most popular one. In line with Dussehra celebration in Cuttack, Gajalaxmi Puja is a grand affair in Dhenkanal.
It is claimed that the town has been organising community Gajalaxmi Puja for over 100 years. Every year, Goddess Laxmi is worshipped here for 11 days from the day of Kumar Purnima. The celebration culminates in immersion of the idols amid a carnival on major streets.
This year, the local administration has given its approval to 68 puja committees to set up their pandals across the town. The puja committees have engaged the artisans from the state as well as outside for construction of the Laxmi idols and decoration of the pandals. Ganesh Bazaar Puja Pratisthan, a puja committee, has brought skilled workers from Bangladesh and procured 500 pieces of bamboo for creating a massive facade in front of the pandal.
“Since Laxmi puja is celebrated with community participation after a break of 2 years due to COVID pandemic, we are expecting large turnout at the pandals. The puja will start with Kalash Yatra at around 4 pm when sacred water will be brought from different sources to be used in rituals. The Goddess will be worshipped by performing yajna amid chanting of shlokas (hymns) till midnight when the final puja will be performed,” said president of Ganesh Puja Committee in the town.
Along with Dhenkanal, Kendrapara is equally famous for the Laxmi Puja. The seaside town is dotted with around 50 puja pandals with elaborate decoration of gates and facades. The puja committees in coordination with the local administration has been preparing for the puja for more than a month and the town is all decked up for the celebration at night.
Similarly, state capital Bhubaneswar has also been organising community celebration of Laxmi puja though in recent years. Particularly, the puja pandals at Unit IX and Pokhariput in the city are highly attractive.
The Gajalxmi Cultural Association in Unity IX, which is celebrating the puja for 38th year, has erected a massive facade built in design of a royal palace of Rajasthan, measuring 60 ft in height and 50 ft in width. The idol of the Goddess is sitting on a lotus flower inside it.
Maa Bhuasuni Youth Trust Gajalaxmi Puja Committee in Pokhariput has erected the huge pandal at Anant Vihar in BDA Colony for Laxmi Puja celebration. The massive welcome gate has been built in design of Ram Mandit in the city. The committee has also lined up special entertainment programmes for 10 days during the puja.
