Cuttack: The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the Bada Osha of Lord Dhabaleswar on an island of the Mahanadi river, beginning November 8.
In view of the massive footfall of devotees, five boats have been kept on the riverbank in Cuttack to ferry the devotees to the temple. Besides, six jetties have been erected near the river bank at Cuttack and Dhabaleswar for the safe boarding and landing of the devotees. For the safety of the devotees, Fire Services and ODRAF personnel will be deployed at the jetties.
Apart from this, security personnel and local volunteers will be deployed along the hanging bridge at the Dhabaleswar ghat through which a maximum of 500 devotees will be allowed at a time to visit the temple.
To ward off any untoward incident, 20 platoons of police will be deployed.
The district administration has also decided to engage the NSS volunteers, NSS and Red Cross volunteers, NCC cadets and NGO volunteers to assist the devotees.
Bada Osha is one of the biggest Osha (fasting) festival in Odisha which is observed from the Sukla Trayodashi (13th day) in the Odia month of Kartika.
According to Padma Purana, Lord Indra had prayed to Lord Dhabaleswar and taken a holy dip in the Mahanadi on the Kartika Purnima for a reprieve from the curse of Lord Brahma.
