Kartika Brata: Numerous Devotees Spend the Night Under the Open Sky in Puri

In preparation for the holy month of Kartika, the sacred town of Puri is gearing up to welcome thousands of Habisyalis who will observe the month-long ‘habisha’ brata. However, a group of Habisyalis who arrived in Puri a day before the Kartik brata found themselves compelled to spend the night outdoors as they were reportedly denied entry to the habisyali centers by the district administration.

According to the administration, they will be permitted to access the centers and occupy their berths only after 9 a.m. on Saturday. One Habisyali from Khordha district expressed, “We were unaware of these administrative rules and regulations. We are filled with anticipation to visit Lord Jagannath and perform Puja. Consequently, we arrived in Puri a day earlier, but the administration should have allowed us in. Our families back home were also concerned about us.”

Habisyalis from Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, and Ganjam who spent the night outside the centers alleged that the state government had not made any arrangements for their stay. Currently, a total of 3,024 Habisyalis have registered for the program, with 911 from Khordha, 875 from Puri, 385 from Ganjam, and 310 from Nayagarh district. In terms of accommodations, the Puri administration has designated five habisyali centers to house them. Approximately 1,650 Habisyalis will stay at Brundabati Niwas, 580 at Mochisahi Kalyan Mandap, 450 at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, 150 at Bagala Dharmashala, and 180 at Bagedia Dharmashala in Puri. For the smooth operation of these centers throughout the month, five nodal officers have been appointed.

Puri Additional Collector Pradeep Sahu explained, “We have divided the 3,050 Habisyalis registered so far into five locations in Puri. The Collector has assigned senior officials as nodal officers for each habisyali center in Puri.” Bhawani Mohanty, Superintendent of WATCO, said, “I have come here to inspect all the water supply arrangements at the habisyali centers. Our goal is to ensure uninterrupted water supply for all Habisyalis residing in various habisyali centers.”

It’s worth noting that the habisyalis have been accommodated in Puri under the Habisyali Brata Yojana scheme, launched in 2018. Under this initiative, Habisyalis were required to apply online for pre-registration. However, it is alleged that several Habisyalis couldn’t register because the administration had halted the online registration process much earlier. Puri MLA Jayanta Sarangi appealed to the district administration to filter out affluent applicants and restrict the scheme’s benefits to impoverished Habisyalis who have no other lodging options in Puri.

Kartika Brata: Numerous Devotees Spend the Night Under the Open Sky in Puri

In preparation for the holy month of Kartika, the sacred town of Puri is gearing up to welcome thousands of Habisyalis who will observe the month-long ‘habisha’ brata. However, a group of Habisyalis who arrived in Puri a day before the Kartik brata found themselves compelled to spend the night outdoors as they were reportedly denied entry to the habisyali centers by the district administration.

According to the administration, they will be permitted to access the centers and occupy their berths only after 9 a.m. on Saturday. One Habisyali from Khordha district expressed, “We were unaware of these administrative rules and regulations. We are filled with anticipation to visit Lord Jagannath and perform Puja. Consequently, we arrived in Puri a day earlier, but the administration should have allowed us in. Our families back home were also concerned about us.”

Habisyalis from Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, and Ganjam who spent the night outside the centers alleged that the state government had not made any arrangements for their stay. Currently, a total of 3,024 Habisyalis have registered for the program, with 911 from Khordha, 875 from Puri, 385 from Ganjam, and 310 from Nayagarh district. In terms of accommodations, the Puri administration has designated five habisyali centers to house them. Approximately 1,650 Habisyalis will stay at Brundabati Niwas, 580 at Mochisahi Kalyan Mandap, 450 at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, 150 at Bagala Dharmashala, and 180 at Bagedia Dharmashala in Puri. For the smooth operation of these centers throughout the month, five nodal officers have been appointed.

Puri Additional Collector Pradeep Sahu explained, “We have divided the 3,050 Habisyalis registered so far into five locations in Puri. The Collector has assigned senior officials as nodal officers for each habisyali center in Puri.” Bhawani Mohanty, Superintendent of WATCO, said, “I have come here to inspect all the water supply arrangements at the habisyali centers. Our goal is to ensure uninterrupted water supply for all Habisyalis residing in various habisyali centers.”

It’s worth noting that the habisyalis have been accommodated in Puri under the Habisyali Brata Yojana scheme, launched in 2018. Under this initiative, Habisyalis were required to apply online for pre-registration. However, it is alleged that several Habisyalis couldn’t register because the administration had halted the online registration process much earlier. Puri MLA Jayanta Sarangi appealed to the district administration to filter out affluent applicants and restrict the scheme’s benefits to impoverished Habisyalis who have no other lodging options in Puri.