Puri: The return journey of Lord Jagannath and His siblings began Saturday in Puri as the Bahuda Yatra got underway, with the pulling of Lord Balabhadra’s chariot starting ahead of schedule.
The ceremonial ‘Pahandi’ — the traditional procession in which the deities are carried to their chariots — began around 10 a.m., earlier than the scheduled noon start. The ritual began with Chakraraj Sudarshan, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and finally Lord Jagannath.
The deities were taken to their respective chariots — Taladhwaja for Lord Balabhadra, Darpadalana for Devi Subhadra and Nandighosa for Lord Jagannath. The entire process took about two hours.
‘Pahandi’ comes from the Sanskrit word Padamundanam, meaning slow, majestic movement by spreading the feet.
Also Read: Lord Jagannath’s ‘Bahuda’ Yatra: Sibling deities take seat on chariots after ‘Pahandi’
The ‘Chhera Pahanra’ ritual, or the sweeping of the chariot floors with a golden broom by Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, was also performed.
Before the ‘Pahandi’, a number of customary rituals like ‘Mangla Arati’ and ‘Mailam’ were held before the presiding deities came out from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik greeted people on the occasion.
“Greetings to all on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra. By the grace of the Lord, everyone’s life be filled with happiness, peace and prosperity,” Majhi posted on X.
Lakhs of devotees have thronged the pilgrim town of Puri to witness the annual Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
The festival is being conducted under unprecedented security arrangements in the backdrop of a stampede near Gundicha Temple June 29 when three people were killed and around 50 others injured.
A total of 10,000 personnel including 6,150 of Odisha Police and 800 personnel of the CAPFs have been deployed in the temple town to ensure that no such incident takes place, an officer said.
The police have issued a traffic advisory for visitors and arrangements made with the anticipation that a huge turnout will be recorded since the weather is favourable, an officer said.
Over 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras, drone technology and other such technology are in place to keep a tab on the crowd, mischief-makers or any untoward incidents, he added.
Odisha DGP YB Khurania and other top police and administrative officers are camping in Puri town for the last two days to ensure an incident-free Bahuda Yatra.
Lakhs of devotees had darshan of the deities during their stay at the Gundicha temple, considered the birthplace of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
PNN & Agencies
