Sonepur: ‘Padmabhisek’ (ordination with lotus flowers) of Goddess Sureswari was performed in the temple at Sonepur town of Odisha’s Subarnapur on Saturday.
As per tradition, thousands of devotees, mostly women, went in a grand procession from Ram temple in the town towards Sureswari temple. The Goddess was decorated with total 16,008 lotus flowers which were broughtby the devotees and collected by the temple management.
All of them, wearing new dresses, carried lotus flowers in bamboo baskets to be offered to the Goddess for performing the puja as the town wore a festive look. The day is celebrated with austerity with the devotees keeping fast till the puja of Devi is completed.
The priests of the temple performed the puja praying for world peace. Devi Sureswari, considered as an incarnation of Goddess Durga, is the presiding deity of Subarnapur. The temple, located on the left bank of is considered as one of the oldest Shakti shrines in the country.
‘Padmabhisek’ of Devi is performed on the occasion of Vijay Dasami (tenth day) of Dussehra to commemorate Lord Rama ‘s worship of the Goddess with 18,000 lotus flowers after killing King Ravana and rescuing Maa Sita on this day, as per epic Ramayan.
