Rasulpur, Nov 2 (UDN): The fifth annual Maa Lakshmi Puja festival was celebrated with great religious devotion, enthusiasm and grandeur at Serapur village under Rasulpur Block in Jajpur district. The five-day religious celebration concluded on Wednesday with a colourful and vibrant immersion procession, marking the end of the festivities.
Amid the sounds of traditional musical instruments, drums, firecrackers, bells and conch shells, the beautifully decorated idol of Goddess Lakshmi was taken on a grand procession through the village before being immersed in the Kharasrota River. A large number of devotees and villagers participated in the immersion ceremony and offered their prayers to the Goddess, seeking her blessings for prosperity, happiness and well-being.
For five consecutive days, the beautifully crafted clay idol of Maa Lakshmi was installed at the decorated puja mandap, where special rituals and religious ceremonies were performed. The celebrations commenced last Sunday with a ceremonial procession carrying a water-filled sacred kalash from the Kharasrota River to the puja mandap. The initial worship rituals were performed by priest Vidyadhar Panda, assisted by Subrat Pati.
The religious ceremonies included the ceremonial opening of the Goddess’s eyes, adornment with traditional garments, Bada Singhar Puja and recitation of the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic hymns. Following the completion of the rituals, the temple doors were opened for public darshan, allowing devotees from the village and nearby areas to seek the blessings of Maa Lakshmi.
Special worship services and religious observances were conducted every morning and evening. Women devotees observed religious vows and participated in the puja, while male devotees and other villagers joined the daily aarti ceremonies. The devotional atmosphere was further enhanced by traditional Sankirtan and bhajan performances, which created a spiritually uplifting environment throughout the village.
A special yajna was also organised in honour of Goddess Lakshmi. During the sacred ritual, 1,008 offerings were made into the yajna fire, accompanied by the invocation of various gods and goddesses. People belonging to different sections of the village participated in the religious ceremony and sought the divine blessings of the Goddess.
Arrangements were also made for the distribution of Mahaprasad among devotees and visitors at noon. On Wednesday, during the Purnahuti ceremony marking the conclusion of the yajna, devotees offered various items associated with their religious vows into the sacred yajna fire, praying for the fulfilment of their wishes and the prosperity of their families.
Several prominent personalities also attended the puja celebrations and offered prayers to Maa Lakshmi. Among those present were former Jajpur Municipality Chairman Prakash Das, former Jajpur district Youth President Pratap Mohanty and youth leader Dibyajyoti Pati.
Various cultural programmes were organised as part of the five-day celebration, adding to the festive atmosphere and bringing together people from different sections of the community.
The successful organisation of the annual Maa Lakshmi Puja and immersion ceremony was made possible through the active cooperation and participation of Serapur villagers and members of the Maa Lakshmi Puja Committee.
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