SAMBALPUR: Makar Sankranti was celebrated with gusto here today. Sun God was worshipped and jatras were organised in various parts of the district to commemorate the occasion.
But the celebrations at Govindpur village in Bamra are a special attraction. Makar melan is being organised here since last 80 years and the celebrations continue for five days after the Sankranti. A fair is organised and cultural programmes are staged.
It is believed that the festival at Bamra started as a commemoration of the marriage ceremony of the then King of Kalahandi with Princess of Bamanda estate in 1918. Another attraction is the ‘Harihar Bhet’ wherein idols of Lord Jagannath at Govindpur Jagannath temple and Lord Dhabaleswar (Shiva) from Kechupani are brought in a procession to the venue of the celebrations. The occasion is seen as a get-together for the Lords.
Folklore has it that the Melan of the Lords was organised by the erstwhile rulers to foster unity among the Vaishnavites and Shaivaites.
Besides Bamra, Makar Mela was organised at village Themra and Huma, which houses the leaning along the banks of river .