Though Jagaddhatri Puja is presently going on at different places in this district headquarters town of Baripada, the famous Jagaddhatri Puja and Mela of Bhanjpur (Baripada-2), as usual, has been successful in attracting thousands of visitors from far and wide. The Mela that commenced here on November 1 is to continue till November 12.
While the 77-year-old Deul Sahi Jagaddhatri Puja is going on at the Ratha Padia near the Sri Jagannath Temple, the 71-year-old KMBM Sahi Jagaddhatri Puja is taking place near KMBM Cinema Hall and another 30-year-old Jagaddhatri Puja is on near the Kacheri Vegetable Market, the 65-year-old Bhanjpur Jagaddhatri Puja and Mela has overtaken them all in name and fame.
The Mela gate at Bhanjpur resembles the famous ship “Disney Cruise”, looking quite majestic. More than 150 stalls are there in the Mela. Different types of cultural programmes are being held at the Mela site daily in the evening. Thousands of people from different parts of Mayurbhanj and beyond are thronging this famous fair during the evening hours every day. The area gets so crowded that the buses which usually ply through that road are diverted through alternative routes during the 12 days.
like the previous years, this year too, many important personalities are likely to attend different programmes in the Mela, whose Organising Committee president (Puja) this time is the State Assembly
Deputy Speaker Sananda Marandi and Mela Committee president is former Minister Sudam Marandi. local leader Prashant Patnaik remains its working president. While this Bhanjpur Puja has been taking place since 1953, the Mela here has been taking place since 1993.