CUTTACK: With the start of 16-day ‘Sharadiya Durga Puja’ also known as ‘Sola Puja’, shakti shrines across Cuttack district wore a festive look on Saturday. ‘Sola Puja’ or ‘Shodasa Dinatmaka Puja’ is a 16-day millennium-old ritual which starts from ‘Mulashtami’, seven days prior to Mahalaya. It continues till Durga Ashtami and Vijaya Dashami.
The shrines of Cuttack Chandi and Gada Chandi in Cuttack town, Goddess Charchika in Banki, Tripura Sundari Maa Bhattarika in Badamba, Goddess Pragala in Narasinghpur, Goddess Durga in Tigiria, Goddess Hara-Chandi in Nischintakoili, Goddess Dhumabati in Choudwar are the foremost prominent Shakti Pithas where the 16-day Saradiya Durga Puja also called ‘Parbana’ is being observed.
In Chandi Mandir, the deity is attired in 16 different forms including Bhubaneswari, Matangi, Sodasi, Narayani, Rajarajeswari, Jayadurga, Ugratara, Harachandi, Banadurga, Tripura Bhairabi, Gayatri, Bagalamukhi, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, Maha Saraswati and Mahisa Mardini.