Bhubaneswar: On the eve of Lord Lingaraj’s annual Rukuna Rath festival, the first pitcher of water from sacred Marichi Kunda, a tank on the premises of Mukteswar temple, in Odisha capital on Tuesday night was auctioned for Rs 30,000.
According to reports, Malati Soren of Bhubaneswar was the highest bidder. The second pitcher was sold to Sheetal Rout of Bhubaneswar for Rs 17,000 and the third pitcher to Anjali Pradhan of Angul for Rs 8,000.
After the consecration rituals of Rukuna Rath, which begins with lifting of a pitcherful of water from Marichi Kunda, people, mostly issue less couples, participate in the auction of water by Badu Niyaog. The first pot of the auctioned holy water goes to the highest bidder. The holy water is believed to have the power to cure infertility among women if bathed and drank on eve of the Ashokasthami festival of Lord Lingaraj.
The first pitcher of the holy water was auctioned for Rs 1.3 lakh last year while in 2013, it was sold at a whopping Rs 2,05,000. This event takes place on Shukla Paksha Saptami of Chaitra month as per the Hindu calendar.
According to mythology, Lord Shiva had killed a demon named Maricha at the spot and the demon’s wife Marichi had asked the Lord how she could be a mother without her husband. Pleased over her prayer, the Lord granted her a boon. She bathed in the water of the tank and was blessed with motherhood. Since then, the tank is known as Marichi Kunda.
