Jharsuguda: The 32nd Andhari Ban Durga Puja festival is being celebrated with great devotion at Kuanrmal in Laikera. Today, the traditional Pahada Chhada Yatra (hill climbing ritual) was held with massive participation. More than one lakh devotees climbed nearly 4 km uphill through the rough forest path. They sought the divine blessings of Maa Andhari and offered prayers.
Since 1994, this sacred festival has drawn thousands of worshippers every year. The late engineer Subrata Kumar Naik, the main initiator of this puja, had a visionary dream back in 1980. He aimed to turn the barren Andhari hills, covering about 76 sq km within a 25 km radius, into a green paradise. To achieve this, he formed Van Suraksha Samitis (Forest Protection Committees) across 15 surrounding villages. He began the worship of Maa Andhari in 1994, linking spirituality with environmental awareness.
On this special occasion, Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Guadala Reddy Raghavendra joined the celebrations and offered prayers to Maa Andhari. He congratulated the organizers for their dedicated efforts. The event was smoothly managed by the Van Suraksha Samiti and Yatra Committee members. These included Sambit Naik (Secretary), Surendra Naik (Treasurer), Bikram Naik, Babul Kar, Arun Patel, Ajay Patel, Pradeep Pradhan, Rajkumar Naik, Deepak Raut, and Bapi Naik.
To ensure the safety of devotees during the festivities, Jharsuguda SDPO Umashankar Singh, Lakhera IIC Dillip Behera, and senior police officers have deployed four platoons of police force. Various cultural programs are also being organized as part of the grand celebration. This makes this year’s Andhari Ban Durga Puja a vibrant blend of devotion, tradition, and community spirit.
