Kartika Purnima 2023: Huge rush at water bodies for Boita Bandana, Suna Besha of Holy Trinity to be seen today
Lakhs of devotees throng to Puri to observe Kartika Purnima and witness Suna Besha or Rajadhiraj besha of Lord Jagannath and sibling deitites.
Bhubaneswar: Kartika Purnima is being celebrated across Odisha by performing the Boita Bandana ritual in the early morning in various water bodies including the sea, rivers, and ponds. The temple across the state has also made arrangements for the rush of devotees and biota bandana.
The Kartika Purnima also marks the end of the month long Kartika Barta held by Habisiyalis.
Meanwhile, the pilgrimage city Puri has witnessed the arrival of lakhs of devotees as they throng the city to observe the Kartika Purnima and witness the famous Suna Besha or Rajadhiraj besha of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Subhadra.
A huge rush was witnessed at Mahodadhi or the sea and panchatirtha ponds since the wee hours of Monday as devotees set afloat miniature boats on the occasion of Kartika Purnima.
In view of security, the police administration has appointed 69 platoon police force and 2000 senior officers in the city.
Meanwhile, hundreds of devotees thronged to the Bindu Sagar in Bhubaneswar for boita bandana.
The Boita Bandana ritual is observed by floating various handmade boats in the water bodies. The ritual is celebrated in memory of our ancestors who leaves on a journey to distant countries for trade on ships. In memory of their glorious legacy, the festival of Boita Bandana is celebrated today.
The people floated the boat in the morning while singing the traditional ‘Aka Ma Boi’ song. This is a prayer to keep the mariners safe during their voyage with the blessings earned during the holy month of Kartika. With this Boita Bandana utsav, the holy month of Kartika comes to an end.
Ms Kalinga