The 'Gaja Bhoga' and 'Tarana' were offered to Baba Dhabaleswar on Monday night amid heavy turnout of devotees. The offerings took place around 2 am, after the temple gates were opened and all religious proceedings were completed. 

Thousands of devotees remained awake through the night to celebrate Bada Osha, concluding the observance with the sacred offerings at the Dhabaleswar shrine in Odisha's Cuttack.

As per reports, thousands gathered to catch a glimpse of Lord Dhabaleswar in Harihara Besha. Long queues stretched from the concrete bridge up to the temple stairs. With the weather being sunny, several devotees expressed dissatisfaction over the arrangements made by the local administration, stating that they had to stand in long queues under the heat.

One devotee said, “This is my first visit to the shrine; the queue is nearly three kilometres long. Proper water arrangements should have been made. The kiosks have been placed in shaded areas, but it would have been better to make arrangements on the bridge as well, especially since many elderly people are visiting.”

Heavy Footfall Across Major Temples In Odisha

With the holy month of Kartika underway, temple footfall has surged across the state. Crowds were reported at major shrines, including Puri Srimandir, Bhubaneswar Lingaraj Temple, Cuttack Dhabaleswar Temple, and Bhadrak Akhandalamani Peeth.

Also Read: Lord Dhabaleswar adorns Chandrachuda Besha on second day of Panchuka, devotees throng shrine in Cuttack

On the third day of Panchuka, Lord Jagannath at Srimandir was adorned in Lakshmi-Narasimha Besha. Wednesday marks Kartika Purnima, when devotees will gather in Puri to take holy dips in the sea, offer prayers at Srimandir, and participate in Boita Bandana Utsav. As per tradition, miniature boats will be floated on Mahodadhi to commemorate the ancient maritime heritage.