KENDRAPADA/DHENKANAL: After Durga Puja, people of Kendrapada and surrounding districts began celebrating the weeklong Gajalaxmi Puja on Sunday with pomp and gaiety, after a gap of two years due to the Covid pandemic.
Gajalaxmi Puja was started here by the then landlord of Kendrapada, Radhashyam Narendra Srichandan, in his two-storey building at New Bus Stand in 1928. "Gajalaxmi Puja is being performed by the family for 94 years," said Sambit Srichandan (38), the great-great grandson of Radhashyam Narendra Srichandan.
In 1932, Gajalaxmi Puja was started by a few wealthy persons at Balagandi, Santasahi, Ichapur, Nasidapur, Gopa and other places in Kendrapada town. "However, the puja by Radhashyam's family remains unique as its members continue to observe the age-old customs," said Basudev Das, a researcher.
"The festival will conclude on October 15," said Kendrapada sub-divisional police officer Jayant Mohapatra.
In Dhenkanal, the century-old Gajalaxmi puja in Dhenkanal town celebrated Laxmi Puja in a grand manner this year. The puja, that began on Saturday, will continue for 11 days. This year, as many as 38 big puja pandals have come up from Korian to Dhenkanal College Road.
Laxmi Puja here started in 1923 when Lt Braja Kishore Pattnaik performed this puja on Hanuman temple campus. It was organised in a big way in 1943. Ever since, this has become a mass festival for Dhenkanal now.
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