Puri: On the sacred occasion of Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dashami, the grand Bahuda Yatra (return car festival) of Lord Jagannath was celebrated with great devotion in Puri. Lord Jagannath, along with His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra, began their journey from the Gundicha Temple back to the sanctum of the Srimandir. The three majestic wooden chariots rolled forward through the sea of devotees.
As per tradition, the chariot pulling began much earlier than the scheduled time, under the guidance of the Shrimandir administration. The air around the Bada Danda (Grand Road) reverberated with chants of “Haribol” as drums, bells, and devotional music filled the atmosphere.
The chariot of Lord Balabhadra reached the Srimandir around 7:05 pm, followed by the chariots of Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath. Sunday, the deities will give darshan adorned in golden attire during the grand Suna Besha ritual. Anticipating a massive turnout of devotees, elaborate security arrangements were made in coordination with the temple and district administrations.
Due to favourable weather Saturday, approximately 12 lakh devotees gathered in Puri. Special rituals were conducted at the Gundicha Temple ahead of the Bahuda Yatra. Friday night, the ‘Pahuda Aarti’ was performed, followed by Shreemukh Khadua at 8:25 p.m. and Bahutakana at 8:55 pm, after which Chaarmala was tied to the Singhasana (throne) by the Koṭha Suaansia servitors. At 12:10 am, the Daitapati servitors performed the ‘Kusuma Lagi’ ritual.
Saturday morning, a sequence of rituals unfolded: Kusuma Lagi at 6:40 am, Mangala Aarti at 7:05 am, Mailama at 7:10 am, Tadapa Lagi at 7:15 am, Rosahoma at 7:10 am, Avakash Puja at 7:40 am, Surya Puja at 8:05 am, Dwarapal Puja at 8:20 am, and finally, the Bahuda Pahandi began at 9:55 am.
During the ceremonial Pahandi procession, the deities were escorted one after another: Sudarshan first, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and finally Lord Jagannath. The Pahandi rituals concluded by 12:30 pm, well ahead of the scheduled time.
Following the Pahandi, the moving idols of Lord Ramakrishna and Shri Madan Mohan were placed on the chariots by 1:05 pm. Later, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb performed the traditional ‘Chhera Pahanra’ ritual—sweeping the platforms of all three chariots with a golden broom, as per royal protocol.
He began with Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja, followed by Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha, and then Goddess Subhadra’s Darpadalana.
After the royal service, horses were yoked, and chariots decorated with Chaarmala were readied. By 2:50 pm. Taladhwaja began to roll, pulled lovingly by devotees chanting “Jai Jagannath”.
This was followed by the pulling of Subhadra’s and Jagannath’s chariots around 3:45 pm.
After reaching the Mausi Maa Temple, the deities were offered the traditional “Poda Pitha” bhog. After relishing the offering, the Lords resumed their journey towards Srimandir.
Lord Balabhadra’s chariot was the first to reach the temple, followed by Goddess Subhadra’s.
However, Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot was briefly halted near Rajanara. There, Goddess Mahalaxmi arrived at Chahani Mandap to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath. She then proceeded toward the stalled Nandighosha in a palanquin, accompanied by cymbals, umbrellas, and music.
The Gajapati Maharaja later performed the Lakshmi-Narayana Bheta ritual, after which Mahalaxmi returned to the temple.
Only then did Lord Jagannath’s chariot resume its journey and reach near the Singhadwara (Lion’s Gate) of Srimandir. For this massive event, the police deployed 205 platoons of force, ensuring a smooth and secure celebration.
Despite intermittent showers, devotees wholeheartedly pulled the three chariots. Many state ministers and MLAs also participated in the chariot pulling. The Bahuda Yatra of 2025 concluded successfully with a strong sense of devotion and divine fervour.
PNN
