Bhubaneswar, Oct. 17 -- Preparations for Durga Puja are in full swing across Odisha as Maha Saptami rituals are scheduled at puja pandals on Saturday. The traditional ceremonies began with Shashthi Puja on Friday, followed by the Belabarani ritual and the ceremonial invitation of Goddess Durga to the pandals.

As part of the tradition, Belabarani Puja is performed at the base of a bel tree on Shashthi. The tree is worshipped before a sacred pot is brought to the puja mandap. It is believed that Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Kali and Goddess Lakshmi reside in the bel tree.

The rituals also included bringing holy water from rivers and painting the eyes of the idols. The Goddess was ceremonially invited into the pandals, marking the beginning ...