Watch: Raja festival celebration in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri

The cloudy weather, a respite from the sweltering heat, and the festival season has turned out to be a great combination for the celebrations of Raja in the smart city Bhubaneswar.

In a bid to promote the traditional festival of Raja and cuisine associated with it, the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) here, as every year, has organised the Raja Mahotsav at Panthanivas, beginning today. The celebration will continue till June 16.

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Large crowds were witnessed at various tourist spots and entertainment parks today. A number of people planned small outings at spots such as Nandankanan Zoological Park, Jayadev Vatika and at the foothills of Dhauli.

People across the state observed Raja sankranti by offering special prayers at various shrines and temples. Large crowds were witnessed at temples such as Lingaraj, Iskcon, Jaleswar and Satya Nagar Kali Bari among others. In Cuttack, people formed queues in front of temples such as Chandi Mandir, Panchamukhi Hanuman and Ram Mandir and Gadagadeswar temple across Cuttack.

Many people, especially girls, donated essential commodities including blankets, sweets and other essential food items to the poor. Some students went on bicycle expeditions, while Kandhei Bahaghara or doll marriage was performed on the occasion at Kundeshwar village in Kakatpur of Puri district.