Sambalpur: Devotees thronged Samaleswari temple in Odisha’s Sambalpur city to witness the rare and sacred ‘Dhabalamukhi Besha’ of Goddess Samaleswari on the occasion of Mahalaya Amavasya on Sunday.
Unlike her fierce and warrior-like appearances in other rituals, ‘Dhabalamukhi Besha’ presents the Goddess in a calm and serene form. Here, the presiding deity is coated in a white paste made from conch and gopi tilak, dressed in a white saree, and embellished with white flowers. She adorns the avatar, symbolising peace, purity, and divine grace, for only two-and-a-half days in a year.
The darshan started at 5 am after Mangala Aalati, and the Pahada Niti of the Goddess will be performed at around 10:30 pm.
Mahalaya, which occurs seven days before Durga Puja, signals the arrival of Maa Durga accompanied by her children to her maternal home on Earth from Mount Kailash.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered at the shrine of Goddess Maa Biraja in Jajpur district and Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri to perform Shraddha and Pinda Daan rituals to ensure peace and salvation for departed souls, on the last day of Pitru Paksha. On this occasion, people offer pindas made of flour, rice, and even Mahaprasad to their forefathers as part of the sacred rites.
Special arrangements to ensure security and crowd management at these sacred sites.