As per the guidelines issued by the Odisha Government earlier, Saraswati Puja also known as Shree Panchami or Basant Panchami was celebrated in the educational institutions in the State, with the participation of a limited number of students, in compliance with all the Covid-19 protocols.
Students participated in the celebrations after two years as all kinds of functions and pujas were prohibited in all the educational institutes since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in 2020.
The festival is also being observed in temples across the State without the participation of devotees. However, the State Government has prohibited the community celebrations of Saraswati Puja.
A dozen of students from several departments of Utkal University in Bhubaneswar congregated and offered prayers to the statue of the Goddess Saraswati, installed in front of the varsity. All the higher educational institutions, including colleges, universities, technical and professional institutes will reopen from February 7.
“I extend my good wishes to all the students on the auspicious occasion of Saraswati Puja. All the colleges and universities were closed because of the ongoing Omicron wave. Though the university was closed, some PhD scholars who are in Bhubaneswar and staying in the university hostels with permission to continue their research have organised the puja outside the university gate. I hope the situation normalises soon,” said a PhD scholar of the varsity.
“I stay in Bhubaneswar and heard that some seniors are organising puja here and therefore, I also came down to pray to the Goddess,” said a PG first-year student of the varsity who lives at Rasulgarh in the Capital City.
A few students of Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir (SSVM) at Unit-8 offered ‘pushpanjali’ at the school while worshipping their individual idols and chanting mantras.
“I am happy that we celebrating Saraswati Puja at school after two years. I prayed to the Goddess to save the world from Coronavirus,” said a student.
Similarly, special prayers were offered to Goddess Saraswati at Banipeetha in Udala of Mayurbhanj district.
The day also marks the beginning of the chariot making process for the Rath Yatra in Puri.
The ‘Ratha Katha Anukula’ ceremony for the construction of the three chariots- Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Debadalan for the grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings will be performed today on the occasion of Shree Panchami today in the presence of the members of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and servitors.
On this occasion, internationally acclaimed sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik has created sand art on the Puri sea beach.
“Greetings on the auspicious occasion of #SaraswatiPuja. May the blessings of Maa Saraswati bring the light of knowledge & wisdom to all and build a healthy, prosperous society. #BasantPanchami .My SandArt at Puri beach in Odisha,” Pattnaik tweeted.