BERHAMPUR: As Puja festivities reach a feverish pitch, people in Ganjam district are indulging in unbridled gambling which is considered a part of the celebrations.
There has been a sudden spurt in gambling activities during the ongoing festive season as people in many parts of the district continue to believe that Goddess Laxmi can be invoked through the unlawful game.
On Saturday, Dharakote police arrested 19 persons from a gambling den near a temple in Neliabandha village and seized `4.70 lakh in cash, 20 mobile phones and five bikes.
Similarly, Berhampur police busted another gambling den at Bada Bazar on the day and arrested six persons. Playing cards, two mobile phones and `20,520 in cash were seized from the gamblers. IIC Bada Bazar Prashant Bhupati said more raids will be conducted at gambling dens in the coming days.
Gambling dens come alive from Ganesh Puja till Kumar Purnima on October 13. Gambling is a ritual for people of all ages in the district, regardless of any change in fortune. Even parents ask their children to gamble during the festival and provide money to them to play the game. Womenfolk too have their own gambling sessions among friends and relatives.
A senior police officer said, “We cannot allow gambling in the name of tradition. Gambling also goes hand in hand with liquor consumption, which leads to law and order problems. Police officers have been instructed to crack down on the illegal activity.”
Last year, police had arrested more than 100 persons after conducting raids at 35 gambling dens. Over `10 lakh in cash was seized from the gamblers from Ganesh Puja to Dussehra, he said.
Such is the craze for the game that a gambling fair is organised in Gosani Nuagaon area of the city. Children try their fortune at various games like ‘gudgudpali’ and other mini casino.
For elders, gambling consists of card games for long hours. People spend entire nights in these gambling sessions. But for most, the gambling stops after Kumar Purnima night.