BHUBANESWAR: Unlike previous years, rivers, tanks, ponds and temples across Odisha wore a deserted look on Kartik Purnima on Monday as the state government banned the sailing of miniature boats and religious congregations during the festival.
Every year, thousands of devotees throng different water bodies to observe Boita Bandana to commemorate the rich maritime heritage of the state on the last day of the holy month of Kartik.
Police clamped Section 144 of the CrPC in several areas and put up barricades around major water bodies like Bindusagar to prohibit people from sailing boats on the occasion to check the spread of Covid-19.
“Kartika Purnima is a major festival of the Odias. It is believed that one must visit temples on Kartika Purnima and donate to the poor. Besides, sailing miniature boats is an integral part of Odisha’s culture and history. People light lamps in the memory of their ancestors and pay tribute to them,” said Antaryami Panda, a septuagenarian of Old Town in the city.
“Due to the Covid-19 scare, the government has prohibited people from visiting water bodies and temples. It has disappointed them,” he added.
However, some people in the city went to the banks of the Kuakhai and the Daya rivers to sail miniature boats. Many conducted the rituals in small water tanks on the rooftops and courtyards of their residences.
“Since it is an emergency situation and we have to follow the guidelines for safety concerns, we sailed miniature boats in our our rooftop water tank. We paid tribute to our ancestors with the culmination of the month-long Kartika Brata. To not being able to visit temples on this day is really disappointing for many,” said Tilottama Sarangi, a resident of Sastri Nagar.
The famous Bali Yatra, a fair held on the Mahanadi riverbank in Cuttack that marks the voyage of Odia sailors to Bali, begins on Kartika Purnima. But it has been cancelled as part of Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the state government. The fair attracts huge number of people from across the state who buy various products.