Bhubaneswar, May 16: Members of the transgender community celebrated Savitri Brata with great devotion and traditional fervour in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Dressed in traditional attire with mehendi, alta, flowers and sindoor, kinnars performed rituals under banyan trees praying for the long life and well-being of their gurus and the entire male community. The Odisha Kinnar Akhada organised the celebrations near Palaspalli in the capital city with much grandeur and enthusiasm.

Along with the transgender community, married women across Odisha observed the sacred Savitri Brata for the long life and good health of their husbands. Temples across the state witnessed heavy rush since early morning as women offered prayers and observed day-long rituals with devotion.

Women carrying puja thalis filled with fruits, vermillion, bangles and other ritual items were seen standing in long queues at temples in Bhubaneswar and other districts. Many devotees said the festival symbolises love, commitment and faith for the well-being of their spouses.

At the Odisha Kinnar Akhada celebration, the atmosphere reverberated with devotional chants, ringing bells and traditional rituals. Various fruits including coconut, jackfruit, palm fruit, bananas, grapes and litchis were offered during the puja. Members of the transgender community said they prayed not only for their gurus but also for the prosperity and longevity of society.

Meanwhile, women from the Bihari community also observed Savitri Brata under banyan trees and participated in traditional sindoor rituals.

Savitri Brata is considered one of the most significant festivals for married Hindu women, and this year the unique participation of the transgender community added a special dimension to the celebrations across the state.