Mahalakshmi Puja Begins at Maa Batamangala Shrine in a Grand Ceremony
Kakatpur (Tushar Dixit), Dated 21/12 – Mahalakshmi Puja has commenced with great pomp and splendor at the Maa Batamangala shrine located in Patharpaka village under Kakatpur block of Puri district. For the past 21 years, the villagers have been collectively organizing the worship of Maa Mahalakshmi on the last Thursday of the month of Margasira, praying for the development of the village and the removal of all troubles.
This year, priest Basanta Kumar Tripathi is performing the rituals of the puja, while Krushnachandra Mallik and Supriya Mallik are serving as the main hosts (Karta and Karti) of the event. On the occasion of the puja, the “Vishwa Kalyan Mahayajna” (a grand fire ritual for universal welfare) has also been started from Thursday. The concluding ceremony (Purnahuti) of the Yajna will be held on Monday, followed by the ritual immersion of the deity, as informed by enthusiastic youth leader Santosh Swain (Tutu), social worker Kabula Biswal, and Ajit Nayak.
On Sunday evening, the villagers will participate in a community feast (Samuhika Prasad Sevan), and cultural programs are scheduled to be held every evening. As the entire Patharpaka village becomes festive for Maa Mahalakshmi’s worship, large crowds from nearby villages are seen gathering to seek the blessings of the goddess.
