Nuapada: As lakhs of people are hit by flood in different parts of Odisha, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra of a temple in Nuapada district were shifted to a safe place after water gushed into the shrine.
The incident was reported from Konabira village in Komna block of the district after the temple was submerged with water from Lower Indra Irrigation Project.
The dam reservoir was overflowing following heavy downpour triggered by the formation of back-to-back low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal and the excess water gushed into the village after some dam gates were opened, sources said.
As the village Jagannath temple was submerged, the priests and villagers decided to relocate the deities to a safe place around 2 km away to prevent any harm to the idols.
The idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, Lord Jagannath and Sudarshan were safely taken out of the shrine and carried by the servitors in a procession through the muddy village road amid the beating of cymbals and blowing of conch shells.
Chanting of ‘Haribol’, hymns and Jay Jagannath as well as the sound of ‘Hulahali’ rent the air as villagers drenched in devotion and accompanied the trinity in a procession.
“We are praying for normalcy to return soon. Floodwater should recede so that deities will be able to return to thir abode,” said a villager in a voice choked with emotion.
Though floodwater has started receding, people in different parts of Odisha still remain marooned, while another low pressure area has formed over the Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of more rainfall in the state.
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