Bhubaneswar: Odisha celebrated Gajalaxmi Puja with religious fervour on Wednesday when girls worship the moon God and Goddess Laxmi. Attractive mandaps were set up in Bhubaneswar and other towns like Dhenkanal and Kendrapada where Laxmi Puja celebrated in grand manner.
On the first day after worship of Goddess Gajalaxmi in the mandaps at around 9 PM, devotees were allowed to get darshan of the Goddess of wealth. The Dhenkanal and Kendrapara towns are bustling for Lakxmi Puja. Maa’s idol will be worshiped for 11 days in various puja mandaps. The festive fervour has gripped the whole of Dhenkanal and Kendrapara from village to the town. The towns have been decked up with colourful lights with the arrival of Maa Gajalaxmi.
Gajalaxmi Puja has been organised in Dhenkanal since long years. This year the Mahabir Bazar Puja Committee is celebrating its 75th anniversary of Gajalaxmi puja. This time, Mahabir Bazar has built a high tower in the design of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Punjab.
Besides, like in Durga Puja of Cuttack, in Gajalaxmi Puja of Dhenkanal, we see silver tableaus (Chandi Medha). These medhas have been decorated with silver tableaus in the markets like Meenabazar, Ganesh Bazar, Lakshmi Bazar, Kaivalya Bazar and Gudiya Nali. Gajalaxmi puja is going on in as many as a total of 38 puja mandaps in Dhenkanal town.
In Bhubaneswar, as many as 50 community pujas set up pandals and organised Laxmi Puja while various cultural organisations have decided to come up with a series of cultural programmes. Bapuji Nagar Youth Organisation, one of the oldest Laxmi Puja committees, has made an attractive pandal. Besides, mandaps at Nicco Park, Saheed Nagar, Kharvela Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Sachivalay Marg in the city are under CCTV surveillance.