Bhubaneswar: As the sun rose over Chheliapada village in Angul district, the streets at Goddess Banadurga shrine were abuzz with excitement. Hundreds of new sarees and clothes were scattered on the road, eagerly awaiting the grand procession of Goddess Banadurga on the occasion of Mahastami, a significant day of the Durga Puja festival. The air was filled with the rhythmic beats of traditional drums and other musical instruments, accompanied by the loud music and bursting of firecrackers.

As the procession began, the idol of Goddess Banadurga was carried through the streets, traversing the path covered with sarees and clothes. Devotees had laid out these offerings in the hope of receiving blessings from the goddess. According to Janmejay Sahu, the chief servitor of Goddess Banadurga, dev

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