: Thousands of devotees have thronged to the Jagannath temple in Puri to get darshan of the holy Trinity on the occasion Maha Bishub Sankranti or Pana Sankrati, which also marked as the Odia New Year.
According to Odia traditions, the new year of Odia has begun from this day and the new calendar will be presented before lord Jagannath at the temple. The calendar which was handed over to Dola Govinda on Dola Purnima will be offered at the temple.
According to the Odia calendar or calendar, Maha Bishub Sankranti or Pana Sankranti is the first day of the year. On this day, the sun transit into Mesha Rashi (Aries) and falls in the month of Baisakha. Since the Sun is located on the equator, the duration of day and night is almost equal. It is from this time that the intensity of the summer season increases.
On this day, the deities are offered Pana-a sweet, cooling drink made of wood apple (bel), coconut, jaggery, yogurt, fruits, and spices to mark the start of summer.It helps to keep the body cool from the summer heat.
The most attractive aspect of today's festival is 'Vasundhara Theki' which is a small earthen pot with a small hole filled with pana or water. The pot will be placed above the scared Tulsi plant. The water drips from this pot continuesiouly and falls on the Tulsi plant, symbolizing life-giving rain. This indicates that when Mother Earth dries up in the heat, it is the duty of every person to keep her cool by offering water. This indirectly gives the message of water conservation and tree planting.
Today is also celebrated as 'Hanuman Jayanti' in different parts of Odisha. Devotees worship Hanuman as a symbol of strength and courage and wish him a happy new year.
In South Odisha, on this day, the conclusion of the 'Dand Naach' is celebrated, in which devotees perform strict penance and worship Shiva and Parvati. In many temples of the state, devotees show their devotion by walking on burning fire.
Panna Sankranti is a festival of restraint, service and dedication. It teaches us how to live a beautiful and prosperous life in harmony with nature.