Girls enjoy a “pana” in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, April 14: People celebrated the traditional Odia New Year with much fanfare across the state today. The festival, known as Maha Vishuba Sankranti or Pana Sankranti, also included celebrations of Lord Hanuman’s birthday and the launch of the new almanac for the Odia community.

Revellers enjoyed with multiple rounds of the traditional flavoured beverage “pana” that was distributed for free outside various temples and at many kiosks across Bhubaneswar. The scorching summer heat gave people all the more reasons to relish the drink that is made mostly of stone apple or “bela” pulp along with curd, chilled water and various sweet and sour ingredients. At some places, the “panas” were also served as “bhaang”.

Devotees queued up outside temples to offer fruits and flowers to Lord Hanuman. Among other major highlights of the festival was the release of the new Odia religious almanac for the Hindu year. The almanac or “paanji” is collected by Odias to organise auspicious events in the family or follow religious festivals on the right dates.

The Maha Vishuba Sankranti, which is observed in mid-April every year, also marks a change of position in the Sun’s path.

Various rites and ceremonies, such as “kirtan”, “pala” and “yagnya”, were also conducted across the state throughout the day.

“Thousands of devotees visit the temple to celebrate the birthday of Lord Hanuman on Pana Sankranti every year. So, we have made adequate arrangements so that the visitors do not face any trouble while coming for a “darshan” of the Lord Hanuman. Devotees also offer “pana” to the lords and drink it after consecration,” said a senior priest of the Ram Mandir at Sriya Square in Bhubaneswar.

People from many other communities, such as Bengalis, Assamese and Punjabis have also made arrangements for their respective New Year celebrations around the same time. The Punjabi community ob Bhubaneswar observed Baisakhi in a grand style on Monday.

“We celebrated the 316th Khalsa Sirjana Divas today. The Baisakhi Parab started from April 12 with the beginning of Akhand paath recitation of holy texts. It was followed by Langar or the community feast prepared by Sikh Sangat,” said Jaspal Singh, the secretary of the Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Bhubaneswar. The Dhadi Jatha from Punjab recited Gurbani from 10am to 1pm at the Gurudwara today, which was attended by about three thousand people.