PURI: Over three lakh devotees thronged Srimandir to have darshan of the Trinity’s Laxmi Narayan Besha throughout Sunday night. On Monday morning, priests performed Mangal Alati at 5 am followed by the daily chores of the deities beginning with Mailum, Tadap Lagi, Abakash, Surya Puja, Rosa Homa and offered Gopal Bhog.
At 7.30 am, the Trinity was adorned in the famous Rajadhiraj Besha (Suna Besha). Three sets of dressers decorated the deities with huge gold ornaments drawn from the temple treasury. A large number of devotees stood in serpentine queues to have darshan of the Trinity’s Suna Besha. Till reports last came in, the crowd of devotees witnessing the Golden Attire of the deities was swelling.
Earlier in the midnight, observers of Kartika Brata made a beeline for Mahodadhi Tirtha (the five km stretch of beach from Swargadwar to Chakratirtha) in the midnight and performed the necessary rituals. After taking a dip in the sea, they rushed to Srimandir to witness the Suna Besha of the deities.
Meanwhile, a special ritual was performed at habisyali centres on Monday morning to mark the end of Kartika Brata. In the afternoon, most of the habisyalis left the centres and began their homeward journey. Puri collector Samarth Verma and SP K Vishal Singh bid farewell to the devotees.
The district administration gifted dry Mahaprasad (khaja) and fruit packets to habisyalis leaving the centres. The administration hosted around 3,000 elderly female devotees at five habisyali centres to observe the month-long Kartika Brata this year.
Over 40 platoons of police force were deployed for the Panchuka Brata celebration and barricades were extended to Market square to regulate the vehicular traffic. Scores of life guards, fire services and police personnel were also deployed along the beach and other water bodies to prevent incidents of drowning.