Sambalpur Sitalasasthi festival: Celestial wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to be held tonight

18 Jun 2026, 09:34 by Sunita · KalingaTV

Sambalpur: The city is gearing up for the famous Sitalasasthi festival, which celebrates the divine wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The Sambalpur’s annual Sital Sasthi festival, is scheduled to take place tonight, that is on Thursday with expansive wedding processions, folk dances, elaborate illuminations, and traditional musical performances.

The city holds the celestial couple’s marriage as per Vedic procedures where humans act as the parents of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to perform the ceremony.

Mahaprabhu Nrusinghnath visits the whole city to invite the Lords and Goddesses to his wedding. As part of the ceremony, the Lords and Goddesses of the city set out from various temples to attend the wedding of Lord Mahadev.

Following the completion of the traditional ‘Bandapana’ and ‘Alati’ rituals, the deity will be seated on a ceremonial chariot decorated with gold and silver ornaments then the wedding procession starts it’s journey through the city.

The wedding procession can be said to be the main attraction with decorative lighting, fireworks displays, folk songs and dances, performed by the artists who come from across the state and out of it.

Upon arriving at the bride’s designated residence, the groom’s procession will receive a formal welcome in line with Vedic customs, preceding the formal solemnisation of the divine marriage.

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