Interviewtimes 
Barely two days left for the celebrated and renowned Dhenkanal’s Gajalaxmi puja. The Gajalaxmi puja is a grand affair here where every year tens of thousands of devotees flock to the small town of Dhenkanal to have a glimpse of goddess Laxmi. Since last year the celebrations have remained low-key and limited with strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols issued by the government. Interview Times got an opportunity to have a conversation with Biswanath Behera, the current President of Militi Bazaar Puja Committee, Dhenkanal. He is also a former state government employee, retired as Additional Secretary in the Panchayati Raj Department of Govt. Of Odisha. He is also associated with many other organisations serving with different capacities there. We had a brief discussion with him while he was enquiring the pandal work near Ganesh Bazaar. Below are the excerpts of the conversation.
Q1- What are the preparations underway for this year Gajalaxmi Puja?
Answer – The Gajalaxmi Puja of Dhenkanal is a tradition celebrated as “Ganaparba” or the festival of the people here. There is an excitement among the inhabitants of Dhenkanal who awaits for the puja with great anticipation every year. From the day of “Sunia” the preparations kick-starts where the sacred Clay is fetched, which is added in the making of the idols. Almost from that day till Kumar Purnima, which has gap of almost 30 days in-between, some puja rituals begins and performed in accordance to the tradition and on the day of Kumar Purnima Goddess Laxmi is invoked. The puja is celebrated in 38 puja pandals with great pump and joy. Huge decorated pandals and illuminating light decorations are the main attraction here, especially the glittering light decorations are praised and appreciated everywhere. Carpenters and decorators comes from Kolkata, Raipur, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar for erecting the pandals and decorating the lights. Also the famous idol artists comes here to make the idols of goddess Laxmi. This year the puja will start from 19 October and the visarjan will take place on 29 October. By strictly adhering and respecting to the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the authorities we will observe the puja. All the rituals will be done and pandals will follow the Covid-19 protocols and the idols will be of 4ft high as per the guidelines. There will be no huge Gates this time nor light decorations outside the pandals, only the pandals will be decorated with some lights strictly following the Covid-19 guidelines. Already two meetings has been done one by the puja committees and the other by the District Administration. More two meetings will take place in future course of time before the visarjan.
Q2- You have been the President of Militi Bazaar Puja Committee for last three years, what will be your focus this year?
Answer – The laxmipuja this year for sure is giving some message to the society, while performing all the rituals we will be following all the Covid-19 guidelines, the message should reach to the society that puja and devotion will be put in place along with strictly obeying the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the government. Barricades will be at place near every puja pandals and peacefully the rituals will be done for the 11 days.
Q3 – Goddess Laxmi is worshiped with many rituals here, also special “Prasad” is offered here, can you please tell us about that?
Answer- Absolutely, the puja of Maa laxmi which continues here for 11 days have some rituals everyday. On the day of Kumar Purnima when the puja starts we invokes the goddess during Midnight 12 to 1am. After that everyday we have some puja like Surya Puja, Chandra puja, subhalaxmi puja, Soubhagya laxmi puja to name a few which is performed according to the traditional ritual. During the puja on Thursday the puja committees organise a special “Prasad sevan” where devotees, administration officials, police personnels are invited. Also some puja committees makes arrangement to sell the prasad and puli prasad also but it’s so saddling that this year due the prevailing Covid-19 Pandemic only the priest those who are worshiping the goddess are allowed for the prasad sevan inside the puja pandal. There is no provision for selling or prasad sevan outside the puja pandal this year.
Q4- What will be your prayer to Goddess Laxmi ?
Answer – We pray to Maa to end the coronavirus pandemic from the world as soon as possible. To relieve everyone those who are suffering from Covid-19 disease. Everyone to live happily and delightfully as they used to and the puja to continue in a grand way like it was before the pandemic. We also worship to Maa to completely destroy the coronavirus.
Q5 – Last year we saw the visarjan in a very low-key manner where only few members of each committees took part. What are the plans and steps taken for the visarjan utsav this year?
Answer – Already two meetings had taken place, one of the Militi Bazaar Puja Committee and the other with the District Administration. All the measures and protocols of Covid-19 will be strictly maintained and there will be no procession. The immersion will be completed by the afternoon during 12pm to 1pm. Using the Ghanta and Sankha the puja committees will immerse Goddess Laxmi in nearby temporary immersion ponds. Only the priest and seven members of the puja committee will be allowed during the immersion process. We are still hopeful that with the ghanta and sankha we will be biding adieu to Goddess Laxmi in a good manner and we are anticipated that next year we will welcome Maa in a grand way and the puja will be with great pomp and joy.
Image Courtesy : Mr. Biswanath Behera
