Bant: Over 20,000 devotees had a holy dip at Debarkund on the occasion of Bhouma Ekadasi here in Bhadrak district Sunday.
However, the devotees and the local people were unhappy over the way the site has been neglected by the authorities although it has immense tourism potential.
They demanded tourist site status to Debarkund situated on the banks of river Salandi at Kaupur under Bhadrak block.
Citing mythological narratives, president of the Ram Temple Committee, Harihar Dixit, said in the Tretaya Yuga, during their exile, Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita were passing though this area on this Ekadasi.
“Goddess Sita wished to bathe in Salandi, but it was dry at that time. Laxman struck an arrow into the dry riverbed and water gushed out. Since then, the place has been known as Debarkund,” Dixit said.
Since time immemorial, people in large numbers have been taking holy dips and offering water to the Sun God at this place on Bhouma Ekadasi.
The place is attractive due to the presence of four shrines on the riverbank. Temples of Biranchinarayan, Bateswar and Surya are on one side and the Ram temple on the other side.
Earlier, the tourism and culture department had been organising cultural programmes like Naga Nrutya and Dasakathia at the site till 1980, but after that the department has stopped doing this, locals lamented.
Generally, devotees throng the place and take a holy dip from 3 am to 3 pm on this day. A mela (fair) is also organised here for seven days, providing a marketing platform for hundreds of traders from Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Jajpur districts.
Many people come here to buy mridangams, brass and copper items and bamboo ware.
Locals and the temple committee want the tourism department to give tourist site tag to Debarkund to boost the socio-economic condition of the area. PNN