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Unique way of celebrating Dussehra

KORAPUT: Dutika Nayak, a tribal woman from Mastiput near Koraput, accepted the invitation on Sunday to accompany Kalika Durga, their village deity to Jeypore during this year’s Dussehra festival.

Her family members have been doing this since time immemorial. This place in the remote village has been getting the invitation every year since the king’s time to take part in the traditional mega festival at Jeypore.

The village deity after being worshiped in the sacred peetha inside the house, would be carried to Jeypore in the form of a long pole, called lathi which represents the deity, Dambarudhar Nayak, her husband added.

This practice of celebrating a festival by sending invitations to all the major deities of the region adds more meaning to the celebration of the festival, Paresh Rath, who had led the team of members to invite the deities and their worshippers from Mastiput and Nandapur, said.

Every year members of the puja committee of Jeypore extend their invitation by handing over betelnut and some rice mixed with turmeric powder as a ritual to at least 76 deities of the region.

Many old practices and rituals were being revived to bring back the rich glory of the past, Mr. Rath added. It would be for the first time in the last 50 years that Maa Bhagavati, the prime deity of Jeypore would be adorned with gold ornaments which was one of the many rituals practised earlier.

A meeting of the festival organising committee was held at Jeypore to finalise arrangements so as to make the festival a unique one.

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