Some may call it a superstition, some may see it as a business opportunity, the day’s first pitcher of holy water drawn from famous Marichi `Kunda’ (pond) located in the Mukteswar Temple here, fetched Rs 1.30 lakh, in an auction conducted on the eve of Lord Lingaraj’s annual Rukuna Ratha festival here.
The auction for the holy water was held on Friday night near the Marichi Kunda. It is believed that bathing in the holy water helps resolve fertility problems among devotees.
The auction was conducted by Bodu Nijog, a group of servitors of Lord Lingaraj temple. A couple from Baramunda area in Bhubaneswar offered the highest price and they received the first pitcher of water by paying Rs 1.30 lakh while the base price was just Rs 25,000.
Similarly, the second pitcher of water was auctioned for Rs 47,000 against the base price of Rs 16,000 while the third pitcher fetched Rs 13,000.
After the first three couples received the holy water, the Badu Nijog distributed other pitchers among poor couples without making any demands. The water auction process which has been going on since a long time, could not be held for last two years due to COVID-19 pandemic, said a servitor. Purchasers of the first pitcher said their family was prepared to go up to Rs 2.5 lakh to buy the Marichi Kunda holy water. “There is no such scientific reason behind this belief in this water. We do not believe that bathing with a pitcher of water will enhance fertility in human beings. At the same time, I also do not deny that the water might have some (other) medicinal properties as the Marichi Kunda is surrounded by many Ashoka trees, the roots of which end in the tank,” said Dr Santosh Mishra, an eminent gynecologist.
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Dr Mishra said people believe that Mother Sita conceived twins-Lav and Kush, after staying some time at Ashoka Vatika, a garden of Ashoka trees in Lanka by Demon King Ravana.
