NABARANGPUR: Legends, practices and customs abound during Dussehra celebrations here. And one among them which attracts thousands of devotees is the nine-day puja of Maa Bhandaragharani, the ‘istadevi’ of the king of Nabarangpur.Before the capital was shifted to Nabarangpur, the deity was worshiped at Raj Jagannathpur . The original ‘pitho’ at Raj Jagannathpur is around 30 km from Nabarangpur town. The deity enshrined here was in the shape of a small stone with an unknown imprint over it. She was moved to Nabarangpur and is being worshipped here ever since. On Vijayadasami, the deities from different towns and villages are brought on decorated bamboo poles to Maa Bhandargharani temple where elaborate offerings are made. Later, devotees donning their best attire, journey on foot accompanied by drums towards ‘Dussehrapada’, a ground situated on the outskirts of the town where a shooting competition is organised. A long bamboo is installed with a brinjal on the top and the participant who shoots down the brinjal with his arrow is awarded. The rituals conclude here and devotees return home after watching ‘desia nata’ organised at various places of the town.Lathi Procession Jeypore: Thousands of tribals thronged Jeypore palace on the eve of Dussehra on Thursday.Village heads of Koraput, Rayagada, Nabaragnpur and Malkangiri districts took out a procession of ‘Lathis’ (bamboo sticks) and performed special rituals near Raj Nagar.Later, they moved to ‘Dussehra Vatta’ in a colourful procession and conducted the special ritual of ‘Aparajita’. MLA Rabi Naryan Nanda felicitated tribal heads with headgears carrying forward the traditional custom of the old Jeypore kingdom.
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