Four children drown during Kartik Purnima celebration in Odisha

14 November, Bhubaneswar

In separate tragic incidents, four children, two each in Kendrapada and Balasore were drowned today during the celebration of Kartik Purnima

A report from Kendrapada said a 14-year old boy, Tusarkanta Sutar, of Kaladia village Badambila GP under Aul police limit, was drowned while collecting paper boats from a pond.

Aul Police station IIC Maheswar sethy said the fire brigade personnel fished out the body from the pond. Aul police later seized the body and sent it for autopsy to Aul CHC .

In another incident , a five year old child, Manoj Mohanty, of Rankala village under Patkura police station drowned while collecting paper boats from a pond, near his house. After a frantic search the family members found the body of the boy floating on the pond.

A boy was slipped and drowned in a pond at Baunsaadia village under Kharasahapur Panchayat in Bahanaga block of Balasore district while sailing paper boat. He was rushed to Gopalpur PHC but the doctors declared him brought dead.

Hindus across the state consider Kartika month as very auspicious which falls on the the full moon by sailing toy boats made of paper and banana trunk. They fill the boats with betel leaves, earthen lamps, fruits and sail them in the river or pond.

Kartik Purnima is also observed as Boito Bandano or Boat Festival by Odias. In ancient times people from the state used to sail off places like Java, Sumatra and Bali for trade.The festival is observed to commemorate the glorious maritime history of the Odia people.