Lord Jagannath and Mahaprabhu ‘Lingaraj’ were extended traditional invitations for the inauguration of the renovated Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur. A 24-member team from Sambalpur extended the invitation as per traditional rituals.
Chanting Mangalastoka (hymns for Devi), the 24-member team invited Lord Lingaraj with a coconut, arua rice, bel leaves, and jaggery. The ‘Lingaraj’ temple also accepted the invitation with tulsi, bel leaves, and ‘bhog’.
After inviting Lord Lingaraj, the representatives visited Srikhetra and extended an invitation to Lord Jagannath as per rituals.
Earlier, the President and other members of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board along with the priests had visited Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar to invite CM Naveen Patnaik for the inauguration of the transformed temple on January 27.
The distribution of the invitation card began yesterday i.e. Saturday after the card was first presented to Maa Samaleswari through a special ritual. A team of special representatives then presented the cards to Patkeswari Temple, Bata Mangala Temple, and Somnath Temple.
Meanwhile, the Temple Trust is inviting devotees in Sambalpur city by sending coconuts to their homes as a symbolic gesture. In return, the devotees will offer vermillion to be applied to the deity of the temple.
Worth mentioning, Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur is a famous shrine of the 16th century. The temple underwent a massive beautification and transformation work for Rs 200 crore to create a spiritual environment for the devotees.