Thousands in Orissa offer milk to deities

Bhubaneshwar, Aug 21: Thousands of devotees including women offered milk to deities in different parts of Orissa Monday in the wake of rumours that the divinities were sipping milk.

People were seen thronging temples across the state since morning and pouring milks on local deities.

"In our town hundreds of people poured milk on Khudurukuni, a local deity," said Ramesh Biswal, a resident of Cuttack town, 26 km from here.

People also poured milk on the idol of Ganesh in a temple at Angul town.

There were also reports of similar incidents in Sambalpur town, state capital Bhubaneswar, Bargarh, Dhenkanal, Berhampur and the southern town of Malkangiri.

"My son who works at Delhi told me that deities are consuming milk, so we wanted to try," said Gopal Adhikari, a resident of Malkangiri.

Adhikari and his family worship Anthua Gopal, a local deity whom they believe to be a lord Krishna reincarnate.

"My wife gave a spoonful of milk in the morning and the deity sipped it all," Adhikari said.

News that idols were sipping milk first broke out Sunday evening in Bareilly town in Uttar Pradesh.

UNI