A mood of festivity prevails all over Sambalpur and a few other parts of the region with lord Shiva tying nuptial knot with Maa Parvati.
The particular occasion known as ‘Shiva Bibah’ held on the day of Sasthi (the sixth day of the bright fortnight) is a grand festival of Sambalpur town where lakhs of people take part to get the blessings of the Deva Dampati ( Shiva and Parvati).
And with all sanctity, the marriage ceremony was completed in the residences of the Kanyapitas where they got lord Shiva as their son- in- law and gave the hand of Maa Parvati.
“The entire process of marriage is as per the Hindu tradition and as performed in every household during the normal marriages,” said Byomakesh Panda, the media in charge of the Modipara Yatra committee.
The lord’s baraat (marriage procession) is also unique since it comprises of Deva (gods), Nara (human being) and Kinnar (eunuchs).
lord Hanuman invites all the gods and goddesses of the town to participate in the divine marriage and honouring the invitation, they all take part in the baraat procession to make it more devotional.
And Kinnar (eunuchs) take part in the procession and dance to their best with the hope that they will be normal human being in their next birth with the blessings of the ‘Deva Dampati’.
At the preliminary stage, 3-5 marriages were held in Sambalpur town. But now the marriages have increased to almost 15 temples all over the city. Hence the entire town with 15 marriage processions and marriage celebrations turned to be lively for the day and night.
The marriage and the Kanya Biday are worth seeing. Especially, the latter is a very sorrowful part of the occasion. Although the marriage is totally symbolic and to keep the tradition, but the father and mother of Maa Parvati can’t control themselves while sending their daughter (Maa Parvati) with lord Siva after completion of the marriage.
“It is exactly like sending one’s daughter to her father- in- law’s house,” expressed Chuman Saraf and Puran Chandra Saraf who have performed marriage for Sri Mahakaleswar in their Santi Nagar residence as Kanya Mata and Kanya Pita respectively. “It’s is a unique experience. We have performed the marriage with blessing from that divine mother who is our daughter symbolically,” admitted the Saraf couple.
“But sending the Mother from home is really painful. We couldn’t stop tears,” they said. This is also the situation in every home which performed the marriage.