ABINASH SAHU 
The annual Gajalaxmi Puja of Dhenkanal is going to end today i.e, Thursday followed by Visarjan utsav tomorrow on Friday. Every year this puja is Celebrated for 11 days with huge decorated pandals and scintillating lights decoration but since last year the puja is being celebrated with following the Covid-19 guidelines.
This year the puja started from 19th October and the visarjan was scheduled on 29th October, this year there shall be no grand procession during the visarjan which it was used to be before the pandemic years. This year the idols of Goddess Laxmi will be immersed in nearby water bodies within the afternoon only using the ‘Ghanta’ and ‘Sankha.’ Everyday there is puja going on in the pandals as per the rituals also at some places the prasad sevan was also organised today.
Mrutunjay Mohapatra, karta of Jawaharchowk Laxmipuja pratishthan said, “I would share my experience since 1975, during that time the puja was organised using the dalachamundia ( bamboo and leaves erected pandal) and a small bulb used to be placed, some small amount of temporary shops used to be set-up and People from nearby places comes to visit and with the flow of time this puja has now become a grand one with huge decorated pandals, huge gateways and lights decoration. This puja has evolved in such a way and has gained so much of popularity and has become so famous.”
Mr. Mrutunjay Mohapatra at Jawaharchowk Puja Pandal with his wife.
“Every year lakhs of devotees comes here but since last year due to Covid-19 Pandemic the puja celebrations are limited, and we are requesting and praying goddess Laxmi to finish this Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
