Bhubaneswar/Puri: Agrarian festival ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ was celebrated across Odisha today when farming community worshipped the Mother Earth for a good harvest and performed ‘Muthi Anukula’.
The farmers wore new clothes and sowed paddy seeds after ploughing, called as 'Muthi Anukula', on the occasion of the ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ and started agricultural work.
Like the previous years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to participate in the ‘Muthi Anukula’ celebration at Laxminarayanpur of Pipili and attend a State-level farmers’ rally organised by the agriculture department today.
The Chief Minister is expected to make an announcement on special package for farmers at the rally, which will witness a congregation of 10,000 farmers.
But the State’s farming community wants an announcement on farm loan waiver in Odisha just like the decision taken by Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, carpenters began work on three chariots for Rath Yatra in pilgrim city Puri after a series of rituals and special ceremonies called as ‘Ratha Anukula’ today.
Besides, another major event ‘Chandan Yatra’ began in Puri today. During the 21-day ‘Chandan Yatra’, deity Madan Mohan, along with Sridevi, Bhudevi, Panch Mahadevs will take a trip on a ‘chapa’ (traditional boat) around Narendra tank called as ‘chapa khela’ in two sessions, one during daytime and the other at night.