Sambalpur: Today Patarpendi, Administration’s Neglect for the Festival

Sambalpur: Sambalpur’s famous Sitalsasthi Jatra rituals will start today with the Patarpendi ceremony of Nandapada’s Bambarad Balunkeshwar Baba. The Patarpendi ceremony will begin with a grand procession from the Balunkeshwar Baba temple at Nandapada on Thursday evening at 7 PM, reaching the residence of Sumanta Panda and Neetipriya Devi at Charbhati. The procession, accompanied by the groom’s father Ram Prasad Mishra, area elders, and committee members of jatra will seek a bride for Bambarad Balunkeshwar Baba. Subsequent days will feature rituals from other localities. On the 10th, the traditional wedding of Shiva-Parvati will be celebrated, followed by a city tour of the divine couple on the night of the 11th, and concluding with the temple entry on the afternoon of the 12th, marking the end of this year’s Sitalsasthi Jatra.

However, unlike previous years, the district administration’s cooperation is noticeably lacking this year. Following an unsuccessful meeting on the 30th, no further preparation meetings have been scheduled. The district collector’s absence from the preparation meeting surprised everyone. The administration’s usual enthusiasm is missing this year, leading to dissatisfaction among the Jatra committee members and the general public.

Notably, a joint coordination committee comprising Nandapada, Jhaduapada, and Mudipada Jatra committees announced the participation of 7,000 artists this year. The combined cost for organizing the event in these three localities will exceed ₹1.25 crore. Additionally, other major Yatra committees like Badabazar and Thakurpada will also feature over a thousand artists each. This spiritual and cultural festival attracts lakhs of people to Sambalpur. Despite the administration’s significant responsibility to ensure peace and order during the Jatra, their neglect has left the residents of Sambalpur surprised.