Rainfall Likely To Dampen ‘Ravan Podi’ On Dussehra In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Vijayadashami is being observed across Odisha on Wednesday during which ‘Aparajita’ puja, ‘Dashami’ puja and ‘Somanath’ rituals followed by ‘Purnahuti’ of Goddess Durga will be performed. Dashami puja puts an end to the five-day festival at all puja mandaps.

According to sources, the Baramunda puja committee in Bhubaneswar has prepared a Ravan effigy of about 45 to 50 feet this year. “The Ravan Podi ritual will be held between 8 pm and 8.30 pm in the evening. All the preparations have been made for it. We are hoping the weather condition would be better by evening,” Rama Ranasingh, president of Baramunda Puja Committee, told Odisha Bytes.

Jharpada puja committee in Bhubaneswar had also prepared a Ravan effigy of about 45 feet and 18 feet wide this year.  The ritual will be performed at 7 pm by the committee members of the Hindu and Muslim religions. Around 200 volunteers will be deployed during the Ravana podi ritual.

Similarly, the residents of Cuttack are all set to witness the feat of fire at the Balijatra ground where the Barabati Sarvadharma Sanskrutika Parishad is organising the ‘Ravan Podi’. In Cuttack, many pandals have been put up, of which 28 are ‘Chandi Medhas’ or silver tableaux — grand and illuminated puja pandals with gigantic gates.

But rain may play spoilsport to the festivities. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, heavy rainfall is very likely to occur in the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak districts.

In the last 24 hours, the state recorded very heavy rains at two places and heavy rains at 34 places under the influence of the low-pressure area.

Meanwhile, in a departure from eastern Odisha tradition, the ‘Ravan Podi’ in Jeypore puja pandal was organised on Tuesday when a giant effigy of the demon king was set on fire.