Odisha: Lakhs of devotees flock to Balasore for 200-year-old Chadak Mela celebration

Balasore (Odisha) [India], April 10 (ANI): Lakhs of devotees turned up at the holy shrine of Lord Chandaneswar in Balasore district, Odisha on Wednesday to take part in the Chadak Mela.
The event, which marks the beginning of the Oriya month of Bisuva Sankranti, falls between April and May and draws devotees from far and wide to seek blessings at the Chandaneswar temple.
The month-long festivities leading up to Bisuva Sankranti culminate in the Chadak Yatra, a tradition believed to have originated two centuries ago. Participants, known as Patuas, vow to join the yatra seeking the fulfillment of their wishes, with no restrictions based on caste.
The final day of the festival saw the temple administration distributing arghya, an offering to Lord Shiva, to conclude the celebrations.
The festival is observed in two phases Nila Parva and Pata Parva. The Nila Parva is held to celebrate the secret marriage of Chandaneswar and Kamini during the month of Chaitra. During Pata Parva, devotees undergo rituals like piercing their bodies and tongues with nails and processing around the temple.
The 13-day festival is divided into 13 arghyas. It starts with the 13th arghya and ends with the first arghya. The devotees have to wear the thread of Lord Shiva from the very first day of the festival till the last. They have to remain on fast in the daytime for 13 days during which they cannot even drink water. They take some light food in the night.
Some devotees prick their bodies and tongues with iron nails. After the Paata Parba, the devotees remove their paitas (sacred thread) after their last arghya and float them in the sea.
The whole gathering is controlled by the main priest and district administration. This year's gathering saw an estimated four lakh devotees, with the district administration ensuring the smooth conduct of the rituals and crowd management. (ANI)