The Odia New Year was celebrated with religious fervour today with people distributing pana (sweet water) and many thronging different temples to seek blessings of the God.
Special rituals were performed at Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri with reading of the new Odia almanac before Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Governor S C Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many others greeted the people on the day.
The day, also know as Maha Visuba Sankranti, marked a change of position in the Sun's path and is therefore, observed in mid-April every year.
Odia families make shades to cover Tulsi plants to protect them from sun rays and mud pots with water are hung atop the plants to water it.
The day is also celebrated as the birthday of Lord Hanuman. Hanuman Chalisha reading was organised at several temples and pana, the traditional sweet drink, was served to devotees by temple trusts.
"We are distributing pana among the people considering the day as most auspicious" Rabindra Sahu of Ganjam district, said. The day is also known as Pana Shankranti.
Nabina Sahitya Anusthan and Kalinga Sahitya Samaj in Berhampur town organised Visubha Milana programmes.
Another important feature of the day was the end of Danda Nata, the famous and popular folk dance of Ganjam.
The devotees, who participated in the dance to appease Lord Shiva and Shakti, ended their ritual. The Danduas (performers) walk on fire and thorns while celebrating the day as Meru Shankranti.
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