Thousands of people from Kendrapada and Jajpur districts on Monday took a dip at the confluence of three rivers in Birupa at Indupur on the occasion of the Baruni Mela on Monday.
According to the locals, every year on Chaitra Chaturdashi, the Mela is organised at Indupur near the bank of river Birupa when thousands of people take a dip in the river located near a Chandi temple. According to sources, as the place is called the Tribeni Sangam, where Brahmani, Birupa and Kelua rivers have merged on the spot, so people take a dip at the sacred place in order to wipe out sin.
Ranulata Jena of Indupur , a devotee, said if a barren woman on the occasion of Baruni takes a dip at the confluence of three rivers at Birupa and then keeps a wish to be fulfilled before the deity at the nearby Chandi temple, she gets all she desires, a reason why hundreds of women every year throng the sacred spot.
Elaborate arrangements were made at the river bank in order to avoid any mishap in the river. Fire brigade personnel along with police were deployed on the river bank for security, said Pattamundai SDPO Ramchandra Gauda.