Nandapur, 30th Aug 2025: The Mruttika Pujan (ritual worship of sacred clay) for the upcoming Dussehra celebrations at the historic Batrisa Simhasana Peetha in Nandapur was conducted by the Batrisa Simhasana Durga Puja Committee on Thursday.
As per tradition, the clay was collected from various sacred sites including:
- Bhairava Peetha
- Banadurga Peetha
- Bhandar Gharani
- Batamangala
- Guma Bhairavi Temple
And the sanctum of Batrisa Simhasana, where the deity Kandhuni Devi is enshrined.
The rituals follow the customs dating back to the royal traditions of Jeypore kings, where Dussehra is celebrated in grandeur across the region. Sacred clay was gathered from key local deities and peethas such as:
Batrisa Simhasana
Bhandar Gharani
Grama Devi Thakurani
Sindura Gochiani
Duarashuni
Three Bhairavi Peethas
And Kanaka Durga Peetha
The collected clay, along with Kumbha soil and Beda clay, was ritually purified at the Gangaisuni riverbank in Bitaragada.
Key Participants:
Pujari (Priest): Rajkishore Rath
Idol Maker (Murttikar): Niranjan Tilatanga
Kumbhar (Potter): Man Chalan
Other committee members present: Tripati Nayak, Shankhua Chunumunu, Suresh, Lokanath, Bapuji, Harihar, Sunil, Rakesh, and others.
Following the puja, the sacred clay, Kalasha, and Agyan Pataka (ritual flag) were brought and established at the Batrisa Simhasana.
Work on crafting the idols of Mahishamardini (Durga), Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi, and Saraswati has already begun, informed the Puja Committee President, Tusharkant Mahanti.
The Dussehra Puja will be observed with full ritualistic grandeur, honoring ancient royal traditions and local faith.
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