Report & Pic : Sarat Patra
Puri, Nov 3:
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The Bada Danda (Grand Road )in front of the Simhadwar ( Lion's Gate) of the Jagannath temple here today appeared eerie with the evening sky filled with thick smoke emanating from the burning jute sticks and the Bada Badua chantings by thousands of devotees.

Thousands of people thronged the Simhadwar area today to pay obeisance to their ancestors through a unique ritual known as Badabadua Daka which is performed on the day of Deepavali. The ritual begins in the morning and continues till late evening.

Holding bunches of jute-stems in hand, thousands of devotees set them afire to invoke their ancestors to descend from their heavenly abode and visit the Earth to bless them.

The invocation process involves the chanting of a prayer , " Badabadua ho andhaare aasa, aalua re jaa (Oh hon'ble ancestors, come in darkness and go back along the lighted path ).

The oldest member of a family chants these lines and other members of the family with lighted bundles of jute-stems in their hands.

The ritual passed of peacefully today.