devotees throng samalai temple on Mahalaya

Thousands of devotees throng in to the temple of Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur region to pay ‘dersan’ of the deity’s “Dhawalamukhi” (white-costume) on the eve of Mahalaya on Friday. Elaborate arrangement was made by the temple trust to ensure the comfort of the devotees coming across the state and neighboring Chhatisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

Sources said the presiding deity of Sambalpur Ma Samaleswari remains in red-costume round the year except on the day of Mahalaya when the costume of the deity changes to white. The sebayats and priests of the temple remain busy in the previous night for hours together to prepare the costume of the deity. During the Dusherra, the deity changes to various costume in every day. But on Mahalaya the deity’s costume becomes white as it is believed to be most pious one. On Friday when the temple was opened for the devotees at 4 o clock morning it was seen that thousands of devotees were already present in the temple gate for Darsan. Elaborate police arrangement was made to ensure peaceful darsan.

Sources said the devotees were waiting in long queue outside the temple to pay ‘darsan’ of the deity.” Special arrangement has been made to give comfort to the devotees during their long queue on the eve of Mahalaya. For the parking of vehicles of devotees coming from the far distance of Andhra and Chhatishgarh, arrangement have been made at the backside of the temple” trust board chairman Sadashiv Mahapatra told.

It is believed that darsan dhawalamukhi (white costume) is equivalent to “Ganga” darsan. So a large number of devotees come on the day to have a glimpse of the white costume. “Dhawalamukhi besha of maa Samaleswari is considered as most pious one as it comes only on the day of Mahalaya. The white costume of Maa Samaleswari is equivalent to Ganga darsan and one can get the same result of Ganga darsan” a priest of the temple Pitamber Rai told