Kumar Purnima 2026: Ganjam Gambling Fever Peaks as Professional Gamblers Prepare for High-Stakes Play
Manoj Kanta Dash
Editor-in-Chief, Odishabarta
Fresh Challenges to Mr, Avinav Sonakar,IPS,SP, Bramhapur
& Mr. Harisha,B.C; IPS ,S.P,Ganjam
- Students College Election
- Dushera
- Kumar Purnima
Brahmapur, October 11, 2026: As Odisha prepares to celebrate Kumar Purnima, one of the most eagerly awaited full-moon festivals, Ganjam district is witnessing the familiar seasonal surge in card games and gambling activities. While the festival holds deep religious and cultural significance, particularly for young women, its association with money-based gambling in and around Brahmapur raises concerns over illegal betting, financial losses and possible links with property-related offences.
Kumar Purnima is celebrated on the full-moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwina. The festival marks the transition towards the winter season and is observed with particular enthusiasm in southern Odisha, especially in Ganjam district.
Traditional Rituals and Moon Worship
The festival begins early in the morning, when unmarried girls dress in new clothes and perform rituals near the Brundabati (Tulsi plant). They offer anjuli to the rising Sun using lia and other traditional offerings arranged in a kula, or winnowing fan.
The offerings commonly include coconut, banana, apple, cucumber, betel nut, janhi (ridge gourd), sugarcane and flowers.
The evening rituals centre on the worship of the Moon. Girls eagerly wait for the moonrise and offer Chanda Chakata, a specially prepared traditional offering arranged in the shape of a crescent moon.
According to popular belief, seeing the newly risen moon and offering the ritual at the appropriate time brings good fortune and the prospect of an ideal life partner.
Chanda Chakata is prepared using traditional ingredients such as khai, ukhuda, jaggery, sugarcane, banana and chhena. The offering is placed near the Brundabati plant, accompanied by flowers, earthen lamps and incense, before being offered to the Moon.
The rituals conclude amid the sounds of huluhuli and conch shells, followed by the sharing of the sacred offering among family members.
Men and boys also participate in the celebrations. Families traditionally organise indoor games, including cards and dice, while some play pasha, a traditional dice game.
Goddess Lakshmi and the Gajalaxmi Puja Tradition
Kumar Purnima is also associated with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity. The occasion marks the beginning of Gajalaxmi Puja celebrations in several parts of Odisha, with elaborate festivities in Ganjam and Dhenkanal districts.
In many households, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and remain awake late into the night. Traditional beliefs associate night-long vigilance and devotion with the blessings of prosperity.
Beginning of the Holy Month of Kartika
Kumar Purnima also marks the transition from Ashwina to Kartika in the Hindu calendar. Kartika is considered a particularly sacred month, during which many devotees abstain from non-vegetarian food and follow specific dietary practices.
Those observing Habisa traditionally consume a simple preparation known as Habisa Dalma, made with ingredients such as moong dal and selected vegetables, according to prescribed customs.
Ganjam’s Distinct Tradition: Festival, Cards and Gambling
In Ganjam district, particularly in Brahmapur and surrounding areas, card-playing has long been associated with the Kumar Purnima festivities. What begins in many households as friendly entertainment can, in some instances, develop into gambling involving substantial sums of money.
During 2025
Ganjam and Berhampur Police executed an extensive law and order enforcement campaign.
The legal and administrative focus primarily cantered on curbing illegal activities associated with the traditional holiday.
Massive Gambling Crackdown: While locals traditionally associate gambling with night celebrations to invoke wealth, open and organized gambling is strictly illegal under the Orissa Prevention of Gambling Act
The practice frequently leads to local street violence, family disturbances, and intoxication
Ganjam Police District
Authorities arrested more than 300 individuals, registered 75 separate cases, and confiscated over Rs.12.98 lakh in cash, along with dozens of mobile phones and vehicle
Brahmapur Police District
Total Case Registered-97
Arrests: More than 630 people were arrested for gambling offenses.
Cash: Over Rs 23 lakh in cash was confiscated from multiple illegal gambling dens.
Mobile Phones: A total of 259 mobile phones were seized.
Vehicles: 51 motorbikes
Both the Superintendent of Police (SP) noted that the targeted enforcement drive was heavily intensified to maintain law and order, preventing the severe social and financial disturbances often caused by organized gambling dens in local villages during this annual holiday season .
For many local residents, playing cards during the festive period is regarded as a customary social activity. Some families and groups of friends organise gatherings at home, while reports of larger gambling sessions in lodges and secluded locations have repeatedly drawn police attention.
The period extending from Durga Puja to Kumar Purnima is often associated with increased gambling activity in parts of the district. As the festival approaches, informal card games and alleged high-stakes gambling operations may become more frequent.
However, the cultural acceptance of card-playing does not make unlawful gambling legal. Gambling involving money must be assessed under the applicable laws, and illegal operations remain subject to police action.
Professional Gamblers and High-Stakes Operations Under Scrutiny
The alleged operation of organised gambling dens has become a recurring concern during the festive season. While some groups reportedly play for modest amounts, other gatherings are alleged to involve significantly higher stakes and organised arrangements.
There are also concerns that certain organisers change locations frequently to avoid detection. Reports of gambling sessions in private premises and lodges have raised questions about how effectively such activities are monitored.
Police in Brahmapur and Ganjam have, in previous festive periods, taken action against illegal gambling and seized cash and other articles in individual cases.
The seasonal challenge is to identify organised operations without treating every private gathering or traditional card game as evidence of an offence.
Red-Point Gambling: High-Stakes Games among Influential Circles under the Scanner
Red-point gambling, reportedly involving substantial sums of money, is said to attract a particular circle of veteran players, including high-profile contractors, businessmen, politicians, property dealers, status-conscious individuals and people popularly referred to as “Babus” and “Bhainas.”
According to allegations and local accounts, these games are not merely casual entertainment. Lakhs of rupees are reportedly at stake every year. A single playing board is said to accommodate a minimum of five and a maximum of 15 members. Once a session begins, the game may allegedly continue for nearly two days without interruption.
Elaborate Arrangements for Private Gaming Sessions
The arrangements reportedly go well beyond the game itself. Clubs, hotels, apartments and rented houses are alleged to serve as venues. Non-vegetarian dinners, expensive branded products and costly alcoholic beverages are said to be arranged in advance to accommodate participants during extended gaming sessions.
If such activities are taking place on a large scale, questions arise about the identity of the organisers, the amounts involved, the legality of the operations and the possible involvement of influential individuals.
Police Patrolling: Deterrence or Mere Visibility?
The effectiveness of police surveillance is another issue that deserves public scrutiny. Critics question whether late-night visits to suspected locations are resulting in meaningful enforcement or amounting merely to informal interactions with those present.
Questions have also been raised about the apparent absence of major raids, arrests or documented enforcement actions against alleged high-stakes gambling networks. However, these concerns require verification through police records, official statements and independent reporting.
Meanwhile, frequent movement of police jeeps and PCR vans from one locality to another may create a visible sense of security. But the public has a legitimate interest in knowing whether such patrols are supported by intelligence gathering, effective inspections and action against organised illegal activities wherever evidence warrants it.
Uniformed visibility alone cannot be the ultimate measure of effective policing. Prevention, impartial enforcement, credible investigations and transparent accountability are equally important.
- Star Sensitive Police Stations Under Public Scrutiny
- Risk Free Zone for Anti-Social,Criminals
Brahmapur Town Police Station and Baidyanathpur Police Station are among the jurisdictions that warrant attention in any investigation into allegations of high-stakes gambling within their respective areas.
Ganjam:- Dharakote.Sroda.Aska,Gangapur,Buguda ,Kabisurya Nagar
Police Vigilance and the Risk of Property Offences
The rise in gambling activity during the festive season also brings concerns about financial distress and potential criminal consequences. Heavy losses may place individuals and families under pressure, while attempts to recover lost money can lead to further borrowing and disputes.In large scale people puttiing gold Ornament Land record (Patta) they ruined (!!!!).
There are also concerns that financial desperation may contribute to theft, burglary or other property-related offences. However, any direct link between seasonal gambling and an increase in such crimes would need to be established through police records and verified data.
Effective enforcement, public awareness and preventive policing are therefore important during this period. Police vigilance can help deter organised illegal gambling, while timely action against repeat offenders and those running high-stakes operations can address the wider risks.
A Festival of Faith Should Not Become a Financial Trap
For the people of Ganjam, Kumar Purnima is a celebration of faith, tradition, family gatherings and community life. Yet the growing concern over high-stakes gambling highlights the need to distinguish harmless festive recreation from unlawful betting and financially destructive practices.
As the festival approaches, the challenge for law-enforcement agencies is to remain vigilant against illegal gambling operations while respecting legitimate cultural celebrations.
Ultimately, Kumar Purnima should remain a festival of devotion, happiness and prosperity—not an occasion that leaves families facing financial losses, debt or avoidable legal trouble.
