Braving the early morning winter chill, people across Odisha thronged river ghats and other water bodies to set afloat miniature boats on the occasion of Kartika Purnima on Tuesday. The Boita Bandana Utsav (boat festival) is held every year to commemorate the rich maritime history of the state.
Lakhs of devotees thronged the pilgrim city of Puri to observe the Kartik Purnima and witness Suna Besha (golden attire) of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Devotees took a holy dip in the morning and offered prayers and witnessed the Suna Besha.
The devotees, mostly elderly people spent the night to witness the Suna Besha inside the Puri Temple on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
The historic Bali Yatra commemorating the rich maritime trade of Odisha kicked off in the Millennium City of Cuttack on Tuesday on the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima.
During his lifetime, Saint Nanak travelled to several places. He travelled to Kurukshetra, Haridwar, and Assam’s Kamrup. He even travelled to Puri and Cuttack in Odisha on a ship. He also travelled to Lahore, Mecca, Madras, Kashmir, Brindaban, Peshwar, Kabul and Baghdad.
This year, Kartik Purnima coincides with total lunar eclipse, a rare astronomical event when the earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun.
World famous sand sculptor Sudarsan Patnaik has come up with yet another masterpiece – a Traditional Boat on Kartik Purnima.
November 8, Tuesday, Purnima of Kartik month. Partial lunar eclipse will be visible on November 8 in Odisha as well as India. The lunar eclipse will start at the same time in different places in Odisha and the eclipse will also end at the same time.
While the non-vegetarian community in Odisha waited patiently for the holy Kartik Month to get over so that they can again go back to savouring their favourite non-vegetarian food, the falling of Chadakhai on a Saturday (Today) has somewhat dampened the fervour.
For over a thousand beggars queued up for almost a kilometre, there are thrice the number of donors as well. From rice to clothes, from food to cash, there are so many donors that no beggar ever goes empty-handed from this mela.
Jagannath devotees were left dejected for the second time in two years after they were refused to witness the beloved Holy Trinity’s Suna Besha on Ratna Sighasana on Kartika Purnima, on Friday.
In a tragic incident, 2 minor boys drowned in a pond on Friday in Alipingal Village under Nimapara Police limits. The mishap took place while the victims were collecting miniature boats set afloat in the Pond on the occasion of Kartika Purnima. The victims have been identified as 7-year-old Shakti Sahu & 10-year-old Sairam Barik.
Sairam Barik (10) and Shakti Sahu (7) of Alipingala village in Puri district drowned while 12-year-old Roshan Nayak of Dhenkanal district was swept away by strong water currents while sailing a miniature boat in Brahmani River on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
Odisha is gearing up for the auspicious Kartika Purnima.
The Cuttack district administration on Tuesday barred people from observing ‘Boita Bandan Utsav’ at public places (water bodies) in the district on Kartik Purnima this year.