Samikhsya Bureau
Puri: Lord Jagannath and his consort Devi Laxmi today participated in a dice game (gambling) popularly called “Kauri Khela” on the occasion of Kumar Purnima being celebrated today as Laxmi pooja in Odisha.After the g defeat in the game, lord gets imprisoned in the temple of Mahalaxmi located in the complex. As per the temple traditions late in the night servitors escorted Devi Mahalaxmi to the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Jagannath temple.
The ceremonial dice game was played atop the Ratnasimhasan between the servitors playing on behalf of the Lord Jagannath and Mahalaxmi. Conventional coin “Kauri”(small conch cells) the old medium of exchange was used in the game. In the final game, Lord Jagannath conceded defeat. The servitors of Mahalaxmi imprisons the representing image of Lord Jagannath-Neela Madhav and escorted him to the Mahalaxmi temple for a week.
During the week-long punishment, lord Nilamadhav remains tied to the throne of Mahalaxmi. Taking a clue from deities, the devotees and the residents too gamble on a large scale throughout the night. The popular belief goes that gambling on this night brings wealth and prosperity. The day was also celebrated as Kumar Poornima, a festival dedicated to the spinsters. All the girls wore new clothes and worshipped lord Kartik to grant them, suitable bridegrooms.
In the evening the traditional “Chanda Chakata” a sweetmeat prepared of cheese, paneer, lia and Khai besides floral service was offered to the moon God and distributed. There was heavy rush in the sea beach and the temple. Scores of young girls wearing new clothes were seen moving about the nearby tourist spots and participating in feasts.
