Bhubaneswar: Festive spirit continued to grip Odisha where Laxmi Puja is being celebrated at well-decorated and decked up pandals amid fervour and enthusiasm.
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.
With the puja pandals attracting large gatherings, security has been tightened in several places, including Kendrapada and Dhenkanal, to ensure smooth conduct of the Gajalaxmi Puja which commenced from Monday.
Kendrapada Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria said 30 platoons of force have been deployed for the festival. Seven temporary police aid posts have also been set up at various locations in the town.
While 40 CCTV and two drone cameras have been installed to keep a close vigil on anti-social elements and check any untoward incident, police conducted flag march across Kendrapada town on Sunday evening ahead of the festival, he said.
Sources said Gajalaxmi Puja is being celebrated at 68 mandaps across Kendrapara town this year. On the day, all the mandaps witnessed large crowds of devotees who made a beeline for the puja venues in the morning to offer prayers to Goddess Laxmi.
Kendrapada district collector Raghuram R Iyer said the eight-day-long festival will conclude on October 13. The administration has put in place arrangements to provide uninterrupted power supply to the puja venues to enable devotees visit the mandaps at nights.
Similarly, elaborate security arrangements have been made in Dhenkanal to ensure smooth celebration of Laxmi Puja. Dhenkanal SP Abhinav Sonkar has already held a meeting with senior police officials to review security arrangements put in place for the 10-day festival.
As many as 24 platoons of police force have been deployed for the puja. Steps have been taken to keep anti-socials, drunkards and eve teasers at bay during the festival. Arrangements have also been made for smooth traffic movement in Dhenkanal town, a senior police official said.
Laxmi Puja is being celebrated at 39 mandaps in Dhenkanal town. The festival will conclude with the immersion ceremony on October 15.
