Durga Puja in Odisha: Gigantic pandals welcome devotees in Twin City on Maha Ashtami

With puja mandaps touching the sky and Goddess Durga adorned in gold and silver, the people in the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are soaked in the festive spirit on the auspicious occasion of ‘Maha Ashtami’, the eighth day of the nine-day-long Navaratri.

Devotees cutting across all age groups are thronging mandaps to offer prayers and get a glimpse of the picturesque puja pandals. Mandaps in Shaheed Nagar, Jharpada, Rasulgarh, Nayapalli, Patia, Baramunda, and other places in Bhubaneswar are witnessing large footfall of devotees.

Goddess Durga adorned in gold and silver ornaments is the major source of attraction in mandaps in the Silver City of Cuttack. Markets are also abuzz as people are thronging for last-minute shopping, including idols, decorations, and prasad.

On auspicious days, women who observe ‘Vrat’ are seen thronging mandaps to perform special puja. Clad in sarees and beautiful traditional outfits, women are turning up in large numbers to seek the blessing of Durga Maa.

The day also symbolizes the victory of good over evil as devotees offer prayers to the eighth form of Maa Durga, Goddess Maha Gauri. Devotees started the day with ‘Surya Puja’, ‘Dwara Puja’, ‘Sodash Upchar’, ‘Durga Saptastuti Patha’ and ‘Sandhi Puja’.

Later, in the evening peeths will begin Maha Navami puja.

“Surya Puja followed by Dwarapala Puja, and then Sodasa Upchar puja will be observed. Later, we will begin the Durga Saptastuti Patha and end it with Sandhi Puja. Later, we will begin ‘havan’ for the Maha Navami,” highlighted a temple priest.