Lanka podi Yatra

Lanka podi Yatra(festival) is celebrated across different places of the state, but Daspallah in Nayagarh district is the most popular and the oldest which continues to attract the admires of mythology and folk culture since 1802.

History

Lankapodi Festival of Daspalla is centuries old and is considered as the 3rd oldest yatra of its kind after Rath Yatra (Car Festival) and Dola Yatra (Dola Festival). Like other Yatras of the state this Lankapodi Yatra too has its root linked with religious faiths and performed in honour of God Reghunath and Mahaveer of Mahaveer Kshetra, Daspalla. Currently the same festival is being observed at many places of Daspalla like Gania, Belapadapatna, Routpada, Rasang, Chhamundia, Purunadaspalla, Korada, Nuagaon, Krushnapalli, Satapatna, lunisara, Madhyakhanda, Ekadala, Malisahi, Bam,Dihagaon and so on.

Rituals

During the festival days, daily one episode of Ramleela, the great epic of Ramayana, will be performed starting from the birth of Lord Ram and continues for 10 days till a particular day (the end of Tuesday and beginning of Wednesday). On the last day of the festival, demon Ravana is killed by Lord Rama and the victory of truth over evil is celebrated with colourful fireworks. Special attraction of the Yatra would be the movable 35-feet tall wooden idol of 10-headed Ravana with crackers installed inside and his Pushpaka Bimana.