The incessant downpour that started on Sunday due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal, has marred the puja spirit among the revellers in the town where the Gajalakshmi Puja celebrations kicked off from the day of Kumar Purnima (October 18).
Although at the beginning, the entire town starting from Baladiabandha to Korian and Jubuli Town to Similia, was teeming with visitors, from Sunday it wore a deserted look due to incessant rainfall.
Stall owners, food vendors, artisans participating in the Pallishree Mela, dollas and zoos were seen desperately waiting for customers.
The Gajalakshmi Puja that started here from Panjia Sahi, now called Mahabir Bazar, here way back in 1922, is now being celebrated at 36 Puja Mandaps for 11 days.
The district administration has provided adequate police forces for the peaceful celebration of the festival. Apart from providing drinking water for visitors at various places, the Dhenkanal Municipality has also taken care of maintaining sanitation. The Nataraj Sangeet Mahavidyalaya has organised a grand cultural festival for two days in order to mark the occasion. ORMAS, in collaboration with the district administration, has organized a Pallishree Mela and cultural programmes from Sunday until the immersion festival.