Devout gesture: Elderly woman offers silver conch to Lord Jagannath

In a display of profound faith, Nalinprabha Dash, a resident of Nandapada, Sambalpur, donated a silver conch to Lord Jagannath, meant for use during the 'Suna Besha' ritual. 

Dash said it is like nothing sort of a dream come true for her. 

“Once while watching TV, I saw someone offering a conch to Lord Jagannath. On that day, a desire grew inside me to donate a conch to the Lord. I said if the Lord made me financially able, I would donate a silver conch. I did nothing. It is possible because of His blessings. It has been made in Cuttack,” said Dash with a sense of devotion and satisfaction. 

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One of her relatives said her desire couldn’t be fulfilled if the Lord hadn’t wished.

“It weighs 1.619 kilograms. One important thing I want to share that we contacted the same silversmith who makes conch for Lord Jagannath. It seemed Lord Jagannath had led us to the perfect person,” said her relative. 

Dash's donation is not an isolated act; it mirrors the aspiration of many devotees who express their reverence through offering three sets of silver conches for Lord Jagannath's adornment ritual. These gestures underscore the deep spiritual connection and commitment devotees have towards their faith.

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A common practice witnessed in Srimandir is that the conches gifted by faithful adherents often remain unused, leading some to ponder when their offerings might grace the deity. Dash, like others, is motivated by a hope that her conch will find a place of service in the spiritual realm, honouring her devotional intent.

“Even not a single leaf moves without His wish. And her offer will definitely grace the Lord. And we will also raise this demand before the temple administration,” said Krupasindhu Dasmohapatra, a priest.