Konark: On the occasion of the ancient and renowned Konark Chandrabhaga Magha Saptami Fair, approximately 2 lakh devotees were seen taking a holy dip in the sacred waters while offering prayers to the Sun God. On Monday, the day of Magha Shashthi, thousands of devotees from distant places had set up temporary tents and huts at the fairgrounds. They cooked rice and dalma (a traditional lentil and vegetable dish) in clay pots and, as part of the rituals, broke these pots near designated ponds.
In a separate spiritual observance, the three presiding deities—Baba Tribaneshwar, Aishaneshwar, and Dakshineshwar Mahadev—were brought from their respective temples in beautifully decorated chariots during a grand procession. They gathered at the Konark NAC premises before proceeding to the sacred Chandrabhaga site.
After taking a dip in the holy waters, the temple priests performed a ritual bath for the three deities with the sacred water collected from the pilgrimage site. Once the ritual bathing concluded, saints, monks, and devotees participated in taking holy dips.
Subsequently, devotees offered prayers to the Sun God along the shores of the Bay of Bengal and visited the famous Konark Sun Temple before returning home.
For the smooth conduct of the event, the district administration had implemented extensive security arrangements. Various departmental officers were actively involved in managing the fair. Prior to the event, several preparations were made:
- Drainage Department: Cleaning of the pilgrimage ponds
- NAC: Cleaning of the fairgrounds and Chandrabhaga market area
- WATCO: Provision of drinking water
- RWSS: Arrangements for sanitation and mobile toilets
- Electricity Department: Proper lighting arrangements
- Puri Division: Installation of barricades for crowd management
During the Magha Saptami Fair, key officials such as District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, District Superintendent of Police Vineet Agrawal, Additional Superintendent of Police Bishnu Prasad Pati, NAC Executive Officer Chhabi Rani Sahu, Chairperson Sanyukta Tripathi, along with other high-ranking officials from various departments, were present to ensure smooth operations.
The Department of Culture organized cultural programs throughout the night. The Department of Information and Public Relations set up information centers, while the Health Department arranged emergency medical facilities.
In addition to these arrangements, various organizations conducted spiritual discourses, cultural programs, and distributed food and beverages to support the event.