Kendrapada: Amid incessant rain and gusty winds, triggered by Cyclone Arnab, a large Gajalaxmi Puja pandal collapsed in the Sana Mangala locality of Kendrapada town on Wednesday night, disrupting traffic on the busy road for nearly three hours.Police later cleared the road.Since it happened late at night when the venue was empty, a major disaster was averted, said inspector in charge (IIC) of Kendrapada police station Suvendu Sahoo.Heavy rain also flooded several other puja pandals, besides many lanes and bylanes.The inclement weather has already dampened the week-long Gajalaxmi Puja festivities in Kendrapada town, keeping people indoors.Residents said the impact of Arnab disrupted their traditional visits to the puja pandals. “We got drenched during our customary visit to the puja pandals,” said Mitali Rout of Khadianga locality.Rahul Das, a college student, said they wanted to visit a few pandals on Thursday, but the rain spoiled their plans.The adverse weather also affected local businesses, with traders and stall owners reporting losses during the festive period.Food stall owner Pravat Sahoo said the rain hit them badly, with sales dropping despite the Gajalaxmi Puja festivities.The week-long Gajalaxmi Puja festivities began on Sunday. Several puja committees had arranged programmes, but many had to be cancelled, said Mrutunjaya Mohanty, president of a puja committee in Kendrapada.
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