Puri, Oct. 8: Sneha Mohanty, 71, is happy with the Puri district administration for providing her and many others free mahaprasad once a day for the entire month of Kartik.

Sneha, who had lost her husband 40 years ago, returns to Puri to observe the Kartik Brata every year.

"I have faced a lot of problems. Earlier, I used to stay at my relative's house. Later, I took a room on rent for a month. But with money becoming a major problem, I am very thankful for the government for making all arrangement for us," she said.

Like Sneha, around 3,000 habisialis (elderly women devotees, who observe fast and perform rituals during the holy month of Kartik) have turned up in Puri to perform their Kartik Brata at Jagannath temple on October 6 and it will continue to November 4. "As a part of the brata, we take one meal a day. Getting the mahaprasad once a day free for a month is really a blessing," said another elderly woman.

Puri district collector Arvind Agrawal said: "We are making all efforts to ensure that the elderly women have a comfortable stay in Puri and can carry out their brata without any problems."

Puri district tourism officer Bijay Jena said: "We are trying to ensure that the elderly women, who are like our mothers, get the right kind of mahaprasad. We are also giving them tea and regularly checking on their health."

In order to arrange permanent lodging for them, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for construction of seven storey building at Narendrakona, around 500 metres from the 12th century Jagannath temple. The building, which would come up at an investment of Rs 39 crore, would be ready next year.