First pitcher of holy water of 'Marichi Kunda' auctioned for Rs 21,000

Bhubaneswar: The first pitcher of holy water drawn from famous 'Marichi Kunda', a holy pond located in the Mukteswar Temple here, fetched Rs 21,000, in an auction conducted on the eve of Lord Lingaraj's annual Rukuna Ratha festival.

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 Damodarpur area in Cuttack district offered the highest price and they received the first pitcher of water by paying Rs 21,000, a member of the committee, which conducted the auction, said.

Last year, the highest bidder price was Rs 41,000. In some earlier years, the first pitcher of holy water was sold at a price ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh.

However, this year, there were not many takers for the holy water, he said.