Janmashtami, the day believed to be the earthly appearance of Shree Krishna in Dwapar Yuga, was celebrated across the State on Wednesday with bhajans, kirtans, pujas and fasting marking the day here in Cuttack.
People in large numbers thronged temples since early morning to offer prayers to the lord, and after observing fasting for the entire day, the devotees returned to the shrines later in the evening to observe the grand ritual of the birth of the lord in midnight.
“The lord is believed to have descended on earth on this day at midnight when it was raining very heavily,” said a temple priest, claiming that he has never seen rains missing this auspicious day ever. In fact, it was raining, almost incessantly, in the city for last two days.
Associated with Janamashtami, another important ritual was also observed on the day in Cuttack in which different Puja Committees collected sacred soil from the banks of rivers to prepare clay idols of Goddess Durga, which will be worshipped during Dusshera in October.
While some Puja Committees collected the sacred soil on Wednesday, many would be doing so on Thursday as it is also believed that the Goddess was born a day after the birth of lord Krishna.
Accompanied by a procession party, the priests and Puja Committees’ members went to the banks of the Mahanadi and Kathjodi on the day. Performing several pujas and observing some rituals, the priests collected the sacred soil and handed it over to the organisers for making idols of the Goddess.