Lucknow: Thoughaway from home state, Odia community in the city celebrated Pana Sankranti with traditional rituals, festive food and prayers, keeping alive their cultural roots.Observed as the Odia New Year, the Pana Sankranti is associated with preparation of ‘pana’, a sweet drink made with curd, jaggery, bel fruit, milk and dry fruits.Devotees on the occasion, pray to Tulsi and offer prayers to Lord Jagannath for good health, peace and prosperity. Families exchanged greetings, offered pana to Lord Jagannath and wore cotton clothes to mark the arrival of the summer season.Secretary of Lucknow Odia Samaj, Prof D R Sahu, said Tulsi ritual carries practical significance during summer. “Tulsi is a very sensitive plant and its leaves dry up fast. So, a water-filled pot is placed above it with a small hole for drops to fall on the plant and keep it fresh. After that, puja is performed,” he said.
