Bhadrak, June 20: The famous annual Shiva-Parvati wedding festival of Baba Akhandalamani transformed Aradi Peetha into a vibrant centre of devotion and celebration on Friday, drawing more than 50,000 devotees from across the state.
The grand religious event witnessed the participation of traditional musicians and folk dancers from various districts of Odisha, adding colour and cultural richness to the festivities. Devotees thronged the shrine to witness the divine union and seek blessings from the ceremonial idol of the celestial couple.
As part of the elaborate rituals, a grand wedding procession was taken out in accordance with Vedic traditions and local customs. In a symbolic enactment of the divine marriage, Lord Hanuman, revered as the brother of Goddess Parvati, led the ceremonial procession as the representative of the bride’s family. The procession moved through the temple premises and the main market area before reaching the residence of the symbolic groom’s family.
Traditional welcome rituals were performed by priests and astrologers before the wedding ceremonies commenced. The colourful procession continued until around 1 a.m., following which the marriage rituals of the divine couple were solemnised at a specially constructed wedding pavilion in front of the temple.
After the completion of the sacred wedding ceremony at midnight, devotees were allowed to have darshan of the divine couple, a moment considered highly auspicious by worshippers.
Given the massive turnout, the district administration and temple authorities made extensive arrangements for crowd management and smooth conduct of the event. The police also deployed a three-tier security system to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain order throughout the celebrations.
The annual Shiva-Parvati wedding at Aradi Peetha remains one of Odisha’s most significant religious and cultural events, attracting thousands of pilgrims and preserving centuries-old traditions.
