COVID casts shadow on festivals in Odisha

BERHAMPUR: Resting all speculations to ease, the Ganjam district administration on Sunday allowed conduct of the biennial historic Budhi Thakurani Yatra for a week while adhering to Covid norms. 

At a meeting attended by Berhampur Municipal Corporation commissioner Sidheswar Baliram Bondar, Sub-Collector V Kirti Vasan, Berhampur legislator Bikram Panda and chief organiser P Durga Prasad Desibehera, it was decided to allow conduct of the yatra for a week. 

Desibehera said he agreed in-principle to the proposal of the civic body to celebrate the festival for a week as per norms.

The holy mast for the yatra will be erected on Monday. The festival will be held in the first week of April and the dates will be announced soon.

The administration also allowed conduct of ‘Ghata Parikrama’ of Budhi Thakurani as per Covid guidelines. However, the event will be limited to a few places this year. 

Budhi Thakurani is considered the presiding deity of the Silk City. A large number of devotees visit the goddess’ shrine.

The most important ritual of the yatra involves taking out the deity on the streets so that people can offer worship at their doorsteps. However, the ritual will not be performed this year.

“We have requested yatra organisers not to allow people to wash the feet of the goddess or touch them,” said Panda. 

Chadak Mela sans devotees, fanfare this year

The 13-day Chadak Mela, a major religious event of the district, will be celebrated sans devotees and the usual fanfare this year.

Only rituals will be allowed at the Shiva temple at Chandaneswar where thousands of devotees from across the district and State congregate every year for the event.

A meeting of the district administration and temple trust was held in this regard on Sunday.

Temple trust board chairman Ananta Das said owing to the pandemic and the safety of servitors, devotees and officials, it was decided not to allow devotees to the fair this year. “The servitors will conduct the rituals at the temple as per Covid norms,” he said.

The event is celebrated in the first week of April in two phases - Nila Parva and Pata Parva. As per legend, Lord Chandaneswar had secretly married Kamini in the absence of his wife Parvati during the month of Chaitra. Nila Parva was held to celebrate the marriage.

During Pata Parva, devotees get their skin, tongue and other parts of the body pierced with nails and move around in a procession.