Khandapara: The ‘Pahili Bhog’ ritual of Kantilo’s Neelamadhavjew has started from Sunday. This ritual begins on the auspicious occasion of Dhanu Sankranti, the day when the Sun enters the Sagittarius sun sign.
The devotees have started offering dhanu muan and other traditional cakes to the deity.
The importance of the day lies in the lord taking food cooked by his mother. The administration took ample arrangements for smooth conduct of the ritual. The temple door opened at 3 am and the shrine was sanctified.
After some rituals, the ‘Pahili Bhog’ ritual was conducted at 6 am.
The following rituals were ‘Sahan Mela’ darshan at 8 am and from 2 pm to 4 pm day ‘pahuda’ ritual was performed. This schedule will continue for a month from Sunday onwards till Makar Sankranti.
Similarly, ‘Pahili Bhog’ ritual was also observed at Jagannath temple at Khandapara and Gokulananda jew shrine at Sidhamula. These days, a traditional local sweet called ‘muan’ is in high demand here.
PNN