The auspicious day of Anla Navami has brought lakhs of devotees to the Sakshi Gopinath temple in Sakshi Gopal, Puri district, for the rare Radha Pada Darshan (viewing of Radha's feet).
The temple doors opened at 1 a.m. to commence the rituals. Following the Mangala Alati and Abakasha Nithi, the deities, Sakshi Gopinath and Radharani, were adorned.
The unique attraction is the annual darshan of Mother Odiyani (Radharani) or Shri Krishna in Natvar Besha—an opportunity available to devotees only once a year.
The district administration has put extensive arrangements in place for orderly darshan, including an 11-lane barricade system to manage the massive crowd.