Deogaon: The traditional Sulia Yatra of tribals kicked off in Deogaon block of Odisha’s Bolangir district on Tuesday. Thousands of devotees are offering rice, lamb, goat and chicken to the Shulia deity turning the Sulia Peeth red with the blood of sacrificed animals.
While a huge crowd has assembled at the Sulia Peeth, the authorities have deployed two platoons of police force to maintain law and order.
According to the tradition of the tribals, the devotees offer offerings of rice, lamb, goat, goat and chicken along with flowers, milk and coconut during Suliya Yatra. This year, the festival is being held for three days, but the yatra is being held for only one day.
This Sulia Yatra is held on the first Tuesday of the lunar month of Paush Amavasya. The Sulia Yatra is being held in Khairgura and Kumuria villages of Kulutapada panchayat in Deogaon block of Bolangir district. The Yatra began on Tuesday morning after the tribals arrived at the Sulia Peeth in their traditional attire. The Kandha tribals came in a procession carrying traditional weapons from the Khairgura Sulia Temple and Kumuria Deheri’s house. After worshipping and making offerings at the Deheri, the devotees sacrificed a black chicken and pigeons.
According to the tradition of the tribals, flowers, milk, coconut bhog along with offerings of sheep, goat, pigeons and chicken are made by the devotees.
They also cook a bhog in a bamboo tube with rice, jaggery, ghee etc. The tribals believe that if the bhog is prepared properly, there would be good rain this year.
