PURI: Habisyalis intending to observe the Radha Damodar kartik brata at government expenses must register their names online from October 6, informed Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain on Friday.
The brata would commence from October 18 and the habisyalis must file their applications for listing on www.edistrict.odisha.gov.in portal before October 11. Devotees arriving directly in the town without prior registration would not be entertained, he said.
Doctors will examine the health condition of the habisyalis before they are accommodated in five buildings in the town. Mentally-unsound devotees and those suffering from critical illnesses will not be allowed. This year the administration will host 2,500 habisyalis in five buildings and funds for the same have already been allocated by the state government.
During the month-long brata, the administration will take care of the habisyalis’ boarding, food (mahaprasad) and engage priests to perform daily rituals, and conduct bhajan kirtan. The administration will provide vehicles for transporting devotees to Shree Jagannath Temple for darshan of the deities.
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had launched the scheme to enable the poor and elderly ladies to observe kartik brata free of cost.
The previous government had allocated funds for construction of a seven-storey building ‘Brundabati Nivas’ to house around 1,000 devotees.