Eunuchs dance before the Lord for Salvation.

Sambalpur, Jun 23 (UNI) None invites them. But everybody eagerly waits for their arrival.

Like cuckoo for the spring, their very arrival also speaks of ''Sital Sasthi'', a festival celebrated in this Western Orissa town for the divine unification of Lord Siva with mother Parvati every year.

They are none but hundreds of Eunuchs thronging Sambalpur town on the occasion of the divine marriage.They come from all neighbouring states of Orissa including few from Maharastra.

The Eunuchs coming as ''uninvited'' guests have got special attraction in Sital Sasthi celebration right from paring vegetables in the marriage kitchens to Lord's home coming procession, they make their presence felt every where as if the marriage will be an incomplete process without them.

But their main objective is to dance on the streets of the city during the marriage and home-coming procession of the Lord, which has all along become the prime attraction for the people here.

Youths and even children cut jokes with them and at times pass comments while they move round the city. And they also take it as a pleasure instead of getting offended.

Madhavi, a resident of Dhenkanal said the People of Sambalpur and Lord's attraction had made her to visit Sambalpur for last one decade. ''We feel fortunate enough to be in this holy land of Maa Samaleswri and Lord Balunkeswar,'' a place aptly representing the congregation of Siva with Sakti, said Madhavi's friend Banita.

The philosophy of taking part in the divine marriage is also further astounding. ''If we can please the Lord and Maa Parvati through our dance, then we can get salvation from such a cursed life.'' The pain of being a eunuch could not be realised by a normal man.

Hence, we want to please the ''Dev Dampati'' (divine couple Siva and Parvati) for a normal birth in the next life, if it is there, says Paramita, a eunuch from Chhatisgarh.

Eunuchs, no doubt, get a chance to meet each other once in a year during Sital Sasthi. The Yatra committees of the town and the Kanya Pitas (Father-in-laws) of Lord Siva take every care of them. They are paid handsome amount for their to and fro journey and other expenditure.

At the same time, their departing scene is worth seeing. They cry their heart out when they leave the place expecting to land next year.

UNI