Nabarangpur, Amid cries of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Veer Hanuman,” the city’s main thoroughfare trembled today. For Hanuman Jayanti, the entire town was bathed in saffron. In the massive procession, saffron flags fluttered everywhere. The highlight of the Hindu Ekta Vahini’s parade was the Shiva‑Tandava dance performed by Aghoris from Varanasi.
The Aghoris, covered in ash and performing vigorous dance steps, carried skull‑like mounds on their shoulders. Along the route, they distributed pana (a traditional cooling drink) and led kalasa yatras (processions carrying sacred pots), their wild movements making the street literally quake. Other attractions included:
Maharashtra’s Dhol Tasha troupe
Andhra Pradesh’s Kargana dance
Kali dance troupes
Masked performers portraying Hanuman and the Vanara army
A grand elephant tableau
Accompanied by spiritual songs, hundreds of devotees waved saffron flags and danced in unison. Children, dressed as Lord Hanuman, Shri Ram, and Lakshman, also joined the march, adding to the festive spirit.
Sand‑Artist’s Hanuman Sculpture Near the Municipality
On the edge of the municipality grounds, sand‑sculptors crafted an impressive statue of Lord Hanuman entirely from sand. The city’s celebration of the Odia New Year and Pana Sankranti was met with great enthusiasm: water was distributed at all major chowks, and newly printed almanacs (panjis) were blessed in temples. For security, the police deployed six platoons of force along the parade routes.
Dabugam: Jayantinar Hanuman Temple Celebrations
At the Jayantinar Hanuman Temple in Dabugam, devotees performed the traditional Kalasa Khela procession. Sacred water was fetched from the Ma’Thakurani Temple and offered to the deity. The event was organized under the leadership of Anil Kumar Behera, Alita Behera, Harekrishna Nayak, Rashmita Nayak, Debaraj Nayak, and Santosh Kumar Nayak, with support from local notables such as Shivaprasad Subudhi, Dhabaleswar Nayak, Sunil Nayak, Mitu Mahapatra, Ramesh Nayak, Prabir Sahu, and others. Chief priests Chaitanya Das, Braja Kishore Das, Govindachandra Panda, Benu Dhar Mishra, and Prashant Panigrahi conducted the worship rituals. Annaprasad (holy food) was distributed to all devotees.
Umerkot: Hanuman Jayanti and Odia New Year Observance
At the Jagadeshwar Mahadev Temple complex in Umerkot, the Utkal Khadura Samaj organized a pana distribution to mark Hanuman Jayanti, Pana Sankranti, and the Odia New Year. The Hindu Mahasangh led a saffron‑clad procession from the Nilakantheswar Temple, which circled the village. Children dressed as Shri Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman rode on a decorated chariot, distributing pana and prasada. For crowd management, the local police provided additional platoons.
The festivities were supported by B. Jagannmohan Rao, Kailash Agrawal, Binod Agrawal, Manoj Agrawal, Gauri Shankar Sharma, Nilakanth Tripathy, N. Santosh Rao, Rajkishore Rao, B. Srinivas Rao, Pabla, Biplab Jena, Pupun Panda, and other community leaders. Responsibilities such as decoration and logistics were handled by Vinod Patra, Bipin Chandra Patra, and others.
Chief celebrant Chaitanya Das, alongside other priests, led the worship. The temple committee arranged for the distribution of annaprasad to all participants.
[10:39 am, 17/4/2025] ରବୀନ୍ଦ୍ର@ସାହୁ(Rabindra}: 19111
