Raghunathpur: The birth anniversary of the presiding deity of Bibhutiksetra, Siddha Gorekhnath, located in Kerekera under Chapada Panchayat of Raghunathpur Block, was celebrated today. On this special occasion, Baba Gorekhnath appeared to devotees in the form of a serpent. A massive crowd of over a hundred thousand devotees gathered at the pilgrimage site to witness the divine event.
In the early morning, after the temple gates were opened, the rituals of Maha Snana (holy bath), Marjana (purification), the first offering of Khichdi, and Badasinghara Besha (special adornment) were performed. This was followed by the sacred Gita Yajna, where offerings were made. The evening saw an even larger congregation of devotees. Lord Gorekhnath, in his serpent form, gave divine darshan to the devotees, filling the air with chants of “Haribol” and ululations, making the entire site reverberate with devotion.
On this occasion, renowned vocalists performed devotional songs, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere at the site. Dileep Kumar Satapathy, Deputy Commissioner of the Endowments Department (Cuttack), and Inspector Pradeepta Sahu were present at the event. Local dignitaries, including lawyers Jeevanballabh Mohanty, Ramesh Chandra Mohanty, Pradeepta Mohanty, Prashant Bhuinya, Sushanta Dash, Kshirod Mohanty, and temple officer Saroj Kumar Sahani, played a crucial role in organizing the event. Social worker Dileep Swain and journalist Nimai Swain also contributed their efforts.
Under the leadership of head priest Dileep Kumar Panda, along with Niranjan Dash, Jnanaranjan Panda, Sudarshan Dash, Ramesh Chandra Panda, and Golekhbihari Dash, all temple servitors took responsibility for preparing the holy offering. Around 20 quintals of rice were used to prepare the Prasad. Over 60 youths from nearby villages, along with Alok Panda, president of the Gorekh Force, and Subhasish Samantaray and Bapu Biswal, presidents of “You Love Service” volunteer organization, participated in the event.
Magistrate Kalpana Tapaswini Nayak was present at the site, ensuring disciplined darshan, traffic control, and law enforcement. An eight-member committee was formed to efficiently manage the program. Under the direct supervision of various departmental officials and members, all the activities were conducted peacefully and systematically.