As the Gaja Lakshmi Puja, which is said to be the biggest festival of the district, draws close, the organisers of several puja pandals organised a meeting and pressed their demand by submitting a memorandum to the district Collector to allow them to observe the fest by following Covid guidelines.
This year, the district administration is sitting silent and has not invited the puja organisers or peace committee members for a meeting ahead of the puja.As a result , the puja organisers under the chairmanship of Rabindra Mohapatra, the president of Central Puja Committee here, and Ashok Kumar Lenka, the secretary of Tahanapati Committee, New Bus stand, held the meeting at Gobindajew temple premises and urged the administration to allow them to hold the puja in strict adherence to Covid norms.
Notably, about 66 puja pandals generally come up in the Kendrapada town and its adjoining areas whereas about 46 tableaus (medhas) join in two-day immersion procession here .