SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur, which was immersed in celebrations for Sital Sasthi Yatra for the last one week, on Saturday bid adieu to the festival that brought lakhs of people together to witness the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
However, despite its grandeur and 348-year-old history, global recognition continues to elude the festival till date. As per records, the origin of Sital Sasthi dates back to 1679, making it one of Odisha’s oldest celebrated spiritual traditions and the state’s second-oldest religious procession after Rath Yatra.
Once a local observance celebrating the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the festival eventually grew to become a massive cultural spectacle that now attracts more than 10,000 artistes and lakhs of spectators from across the country every year.
However, organisers pointed out that despite its scale and legacy, the festival finds little mention in the promotional material of the state’s Tourism and Culture departments and continues to rely largely on community participation and public patronage for survival.
Terming Sital Sashti as the ‘Mahakumbh’ of artistes, historian Deepak Panda said it is a festival that combines religious, social, natural and cultural dimensions. It is not merely about dance and music performances but also showcases art, craft and tourism.
“Sital Sasthi allows ordinary families to directly participate in the divine wedding by performing the kanyadan of Goddess Parvati to Lord Shiva. The festival also serves as a major cultural congregation, bringing together thousands of artistes from across the country.
Many traditional dance forms that are on the verge of decline are showcased here,” Panda said.
Today, over 20 localities in Sambalpur organise separate Sital Sasthi processions, while the tradition has spread to many towns and villages across western Odisha. However, despite its popularity, the festival draws majority of visitors from western Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Organisers said the number of tourists from other states and abroad remains relatively low, attributing it to inadequate promotion and the absence of sustained institutional support.
“Although government grants are now being provided, it is shared among 21 organising committees and is often inadequate considering the expanding scale of the festival,” they said. The organisers further demanded that the government consider declaring it a state holiday. They pointed out that unlike Rath Yatra, there are no dedicated transport arrangements for Sital Sasthi, which poses a hindrance for visitors from faraway places to witness the festival.
Sudipta Kumar Panda, a member of the Modipada Sital Sasthi Organising Committee, demanded that due priority be given to the oldest organising committees including Nandapada, Modipada and Jhaduapada, regarding funding and other important arrangements.