Jatani, Sept 16: Jatani doesn’t just celebrate Ganesh Puja — for 11 days, the town comes alive with festivities. The cel ebration marks the start of the fes tive season with devotion, fun, en tertainment and shopping. Located around 15 km from Bhu baneswar, Jatani has a history of Ganesh Puja that goes back more than a century, and the celebration continues to evolve with the chang ing times. Different puja committees show case the artistry of local artisans and craftspeople through unique themes.
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This year too, several com mittees have come up with creative ideas. One of the oldest puja commit tees here is the Sitarampur Chaka Byabasaya Sangha. Its president, Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra, spoke with excitement about this year’s theme. “The medha will showcase At a glance FILE PHOTO City Fest three devotees of Jag annath — Bhakta Bal aram Das, Bhakta Da sia Bauri and Bhakta Salabega,” Mohapatra said, adding, “We want this year’s theme to be one of the major attractions of the season.” Last year, around 15,000-20,000 people visited their medha every day,” said Mohapatra. Similarly, the chairperson of Mahulagadia Chaka Byabasaya Sangha, Prashant Kumar Sad hu, is looking forward to welcoming people from across the state.
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The committee is fa mous for its Budha Ganesha, a name lovingly given by local people because the Ganesh Puja here is considered the oldest in town. Being a business town and a ma jor railway junction of the state, Ja The different puja committees have volunteers to help and guide visitors and ensure hassle-free darshan The celebration marks the start of the festive season with devotion Located around 15 km from Bhubaneswar, Jatani has a history of Ganesh Puja that goes back more than a century tani welcomes thousands of visitors every year. “We are expecting simi lar numbers this year as well,” he said, and added, “A devotee has pledged to donate one quintal of laddoos this time.” The different puja committees have volunteers to help and guide visitors and ensure hassle-free dar shan. The local administration has also taken various steps to make the 11-day celebration a smooth experi ence for everyone. Information cen tres and first-aid kiosks have been set up in major areas.
Manasi Pradhan, a Class 9 stu dent, is excited about Ganesh Puja and plans to go pandal-hopping with her friends and cousins.“I love this time of the year. It is fun to visit the different pandals in the eve nings as the town lights up in festive fervour,” she said. Saroj Khuntia, a businessman, said Ganesh is the bringer of luck and good fortune, and he hopes the coming year will bring him prosperity.“Being a commercial town and trading hub, Ganesh plays a big role in the lives of the people of Jatani,” Khuntiasaid. Last year, the Retang Colony Friends Club created a buzz with a 15-foot Ganesh idol inspired by Buddha. The committee wanted to spread a message of peace and har mony in an increasingly volatile world.
Also Read: Young sculptors build stunning eight foot green Gajanana Idol using jute sacks and twine
(By Debi Prasad Sahu)
