Priests on makeshift raft for worshipping deitIies

Kendrapara, Aug 21 (UNI) Natural calamity even at its worst form cannot weaken people's belief and force them to stop worshipping their deities, in this district of Orissa..

Rajkanika, Aul and Pattamundai blocks in this district remained submerged under flood water for the last couple of days.

Most of the areas were marooned and the flood water gushed into more than 80 temples. Yet the people never forget to worship their deities.

In villages like Siko, Eradanga, Ketuapala, Manikapatana, Patrapur Bilikana Ghagara Manpur, Jayanagar, Ialia, Baradia, Mulasahi, Dashipur, Balipatana, Mandapada and Kolathia, the priests were seen ferrying on makeshift raft or wading through chest- deep water to perform the daily rituals of the presiding deities of the villages.

The scene is more marked on every Monday when the people throng the Shiva temple in Sharavan to worship as it is considered auspicious.

The villagers believe that not worshipping the God in the holy month of Shravana might multiply their miseries.

The scene is almost the same in more than 107 flood-affected villages in 41 GPs where the temples had submerged under knee deep water in the current flood.

UNI