The Panchudola Melana of Lord Paschimasambhu Somanath Dev will begin on Monday in Harirajpur, Jatni, near Odisha's Bhubaneswar. This marks the start of the yearly religious gathering, which attracts followers from various surrounding communities.
The Melana will begin on Monday, while the Jamana Utsav took place on Sunday.
As part of the festivities, Lord Paschimasambhu Somanath Dev came at the Dola Bedi seated on a decked Dola Bimana, followed by traditional musical instruments and dance performances.
The ceremonial procession played an essential role in the festival's opening rituals.A large gathering of devotees.
A significant number of devotees from the surrounding areas flocked to see the Jamana Utsav, with lakhs of people reportedly attending.
The celebration has always drawn devotees and guests from all across the region, who come to participate in the rituals and festivities.
Throughout the occasion, many cultural events are frequently held to entertain devotees, including as bhajan performances and melody presentations.
The fireworks display quickly became one of the event's main attractions, receiving a lot of attention from the crowd.Unique Holi Tradition
Harirajpur's Dola Melana is also known as the Panchu Dola festival since it features deities from five prominent Shiva temples. Lord Paschimasambhu Somanath Dev, Harirajpur's presiding god, symbolically invites other deities to the village to celebrate Holi.
During the event, deities from over 80 adjacent villages are transported to Harirajpur in colorful processions carried in palanquins. The Melana includes Holi ceremonial celebrations that last four days.
Festival with Historical Roots
The Melana is thought to date back to the 17th century. According to traditional sources, the celebration was founded in 1637 by two locals, Babaji Gobardhan Das and Nitei Sahu.Fireworks remain a popular attraction at Harirajpur's Melana. Devotees deliver pyrotechnics to the deities as a form of devotion rather than culinary or monetary sacrifices.
The festival will run until March 12.