The auspicious festival of Anla Navami, also known as Akshaya Navami, will be celebrated with great devotion on Friday at the historic Sakhigopal Temple in Odisha’s Puri district.
The temple town is abuzz with preparations for the grand observance, which holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for devotees across the state.

As per tradition, the sacred ritual of ‘Radha Pada Darshan’ is observed every year on Sukla Navami in the holy Odia month of Kartika. On this special day, devotees are granted the rare opportunity to view the feet of Goddess Radharani, which remain covered throughout the rest of the year.

Lakhs of devotees are expected to throng the temple to witness this divine sight, believed to bestow spiritual liberation (Moksha) and blessings upon the faithful.

Special Rituals and Devotee Arrangements

In keeping with age-old tradition, Goddess Radharani will be adorned in the exquisite ‘Odiyani Besha’ for the occasion. The temple administration has made elaborate arrangements to accommodate the massive influx of devotees, ensuring smooth darshan and ritual proceedings.

Tight Security and Crowd Management

To ensure the event’s smooth conduct, police and local administration have ramped up security across Sakhigopal. Barricades, crowd-control systems, and dedicated movement lanes have been put in place to facilitate an orderly flow of devotees.

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As per reports, elaborate arrangements have been made to accommodate over five lakh devotees. At the time of reporting, the District Magistrate visited the temple premises to review the preparations.

An eleven-lane barricading system has been set up to ensure smooth movement of devotees. Extensive parking facilities have also been arranged in the Panchasakha Padia and adjoining areas to manage the large inflow of visitors arriving for the darshan.

On the auspicious day, Goddess Radharani will be adorned in the Odiyani Besha, while Lord Sakhigopal will appear in the Natabar Besha. The darshan is scheduled to begin at 5 am.

Devotees from across Odisha as well as from outside the State are expected to visit Sakhigopal to catch a glimpse of the deities on this sacred occasion.

The celebration of Anla Navami thus continues to preserve one of Odisha’s most revered spiritual traditions, drawing devotees from far and wide to seek blessings and participate in this sacred annual ritual.