Featured

Maha Saptami Today, Know The History & Legends Associated With Durga Puja In Odisha

By
OB Bureau

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: The actual Durga Puja revelry has begun in Odisha. The five days of festivities observed as Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Vijayadashami, started on October 1 and will culminate on October 5, which is also when we will be celebrating Dussehra.

According to Markandeya Purana, the right time for invoking the Goddess is the spring season in the lunar month Chaitra. However, it is not much celebrated in Odisha and its neighbouring states. Instead Sharadiya Durga Puja is celebrated in Sharata Rutu (autumn season) in lunar month Aswina. Lord Rama was responsible for shifting goddess worship to autumn since he invoked Her before invasion of Lanka, according to the Krutibasa Ramayana.

Markandeya Purana further says that the King of Chaitra/Chedi dynasty Raja Suratha started rituals of Durga Puja during 300 BC. The Chaitra dynasty belongs to Kalinga (modern Odisha).

The present form of worshipping earthen idols of the Goddess was started during the reign of Ganga King Chodaganga Dev in the 11th century at Puri. Co-worship of Mahishamarddini Durga with Madhava (Lord Jagannath) is prevalent since the 11th century, the Eastern Ganga dynasty period, in Puri. It is also said that in the year 1512 CE, Shri Chaitanya started worship of Durga as community worship in Binod Bihari temple at Cuttack.  The area is now known as Balu Bazaar.

The Silver City of Cuttack is famous for its extravagance and the magnitude of stunning filigree work and ‘chandi medha’ or the silver tableau used for decorating Goddess Durga and her temporary abode. As many as 28 Puja committees have put up chandi medha while 15 have used gold ornaments to decorate Goddess Durga. At Sheikh Bazaar, the design of the ‘medha’ (tableau) has been changed this year by adding over 60 kg of additional silver to the background with the already-existing 2.5 quintal. The jewellery of the idols will be around 40-50 kg, the PIT reported.

The festival is also celebrated in a grand way at the Kataka Chandi temple.

To ease traffic congestion, Commissionerate Police has imposed one-way traffic system in the city while 300 CCTV cameras have been installed at crowded places and important junctions to keep an eye on the troublemakers. A total of 55 platoons of police force, six police officers of ADCP rank, 40 officers of DSP rank, around 55 inspectors, nearly 300 SIs and ASIs, 84 havildars, over 600 constables and traffic constables, 700 home guards and more than 700 police volunteers have been deployed for smooth passage of the festival, Police Commissioner Saumendra Priyadarshi informed on Saturday.

Besides, security personnel on rooftops, 20 PCR vans, three special mobile vans, 40 bike PCRs and quick action teams have been deployed and 31 police aid posts set for the puja, he added.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

2nd Maharashtra Tigress Zeenat Released Into Core Area Of Similipal In Odisha

Baripada: Ten days after being put in a soft enclosure inside Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)…

November 25, 2024

Odisha GDP Suspends Jonk Police Station IIC For Dereliction Of Duty

Nuapada: Inspector In-Charge (IIC) of Jonk police station in Odisha’s Nuapada district, Gurudev Karmi, has…

November 25, 2024

IPL Auction: KKR Break Bank For Venkatesh On Lucrative Day For Indian Players; Check Top Buys

Mumbai: The first day of the IPL mega player auction at Jeddah threw up several…

November 24, 2024

Odisha Govt Hands Over Case Of Attack On Dharmasala MLA To Crime Branch

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has handed over the investigation into the attack on Dhramasala MLA…

November 24, 2024

Commissionerate Police Issues Traffic Advisory During Winter Session Of Odisha Assembly; Details Here

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate of Police on Sunday issued an advisory for movement of vehicular traffic…

November 24, 2024

Elon Musk Proposal: Fire US Federal Employees Who Want To Work From Home

New York: Now that President-elect Donald Trump has tasked Elon Musk with the responsibility of co-heading…

November 24, 2024

Odisha Govt Warns Of Stern Action For Renting Out Its Quarters

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has warned its employees of stern action for sub-letting their allotted…

November 24, 2024

AR Rahman Best Man In The World, Certifies Saira Banu; Then Why Their Separation?

Mumbai: There has been a lot of talk over AR Rahman and his wife Saira…

November 24, 2024