People observing Panchuka

City residents have been observing the last five days of the holy month of

Kartika

, Panchuka, from Friday. People usually refrain from eating non-veg food in Kartika, but these five days are strictly veg. During the

Panchuka

period, non-veg items are not even allowed into the house. Hotels and restaurants also see drop in sale of non-veg food, while the demand for vegetarian food items goes up during this period. People also decorate their homes with

Rangoli

.

Pic- Avinash Patnaik

According to traditional practice, women, mostly widows and the elderly, rise early in the morning, take a bath and worship sun god. Many visit holy places like Puri and Old Town in Bhubaneswar. They feast on a special Dalma,

Habisha Dalma

, which is devoid of onion and garlic. Besides, various vegetarian items are prepared at home.

“Once Kartika month started, my grandmother stopped eating non-veg food. But during Panchuka, everyone in our house quit non-veg food. It’s believed that during Panchuka, even the cranes stop eating fish. There is a scientific reason behind this. Fish in ponds and rivers fall sick during this period,” said Saswat Mohanty, an investment banker.

Panchuka will end with Kartika Purnima on Tuesday. The very next day is observed as Chhadakhai, when people feast on non-veg food. On the

Chhadakhai

day, the chicken, mutton and fish shops witness a huge rush and hotels and restaurants see a jump in the sales of non-veg items.