Raghunath Dixit Passes the Examination to Become a Shodasha Upachara Pujapanda
Kakatpur | 20/09/2024
Report: Tushar Dixit
With the upcoming Parbana Puja (festive worship) approaching, elaborate preparations are underway at the temple of Maa Mangala in Kakatpur. In this context, young servitors (sebayats) who previously performed the Pancha Upachara Puja are now being given independent training to perform the more elaborate Shodasha Upachara Puja, and are being certified upon successful completion. Among them, Raghunath Dixit from Sebaka Sahi has been officially recognized as a Shodasha Upachara Pujapanda. Undoubtedly, this serves as a remarkable example for the younger generation of servitors.
Worshipping Maa Mangala requires not only deep devotion but also immense precision, as even a single misstep or missed ritual can disrupt the sanctity of the puja. It takes several years of rigorous learning and dedication to master this sacred process, and today that journey has culminated for Raghunath.
A formal examination was conducted at the Bhoga Mandap of the temple under the supervision of senior Pujapandas including Lalit Kumar Dixit, Sarbeswar Padhi, Subash Chandra Padhi, Sanjay Dixit, and Tapan Kumar Dixit, along with the temple’s Executive Officer Ishwar Chandra Dixit, Pavitra Kumar Dixit, and Sebaka Samiti President Manoranjan Panda. During this assessment, Raghunath Dixit successfully demonstrated his knowledge and skills to qualify as a Shodasha Upachara Pujapanda.
In the upcoming Parbana, he will take on the responsibilities of conducting Maa Mangala’s special rituals. Following his success, a felicitation ceremony was held in the temple premises, where temple trustee Ankita Anandita, Executive Officer Kailash Chandra Das, and fellow Pujapandas welcomed him with a bouquet and ceremonial stole (uttariya) in recognition of his achievement.
