Car fest originated at Srigundicha

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Puri: Lakhs of devotees from across the globe usually gather in the Holy City here to watch the annual sojourn of Srimandir deities to Srigundicha temple on the occasion of Rath Yatra.
But, many of them are unaware that the tradition of Rath Yatra originated at Srigundicha temple, which is considered as the birthplace of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
“For the first time, the wooden idols of Lord Jagannath and his siblings were taken to Srimandir from Srigundicha temple on chariots. The deities were carried to the sanctum sanctorum one after another and then consecrated,” said noted researcher Naresh Chandra Dash. The Srimandir deities usually spend seven days at the Srigundicha temple during the annual Rath Yatra. “The deities usually spend at least two days on chariots on the occasions of Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra. They spend the remaining seven days at the Adapmandap of Srigundicha temple,” Dash said.
According to Dash, one can gather more virtue (punya) by paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath at Srigundicha temple than at Srimandir. “The virtue one gets from paying obeisance to the Lord at Adaapmandap of Srigundicha temple once is equal to the virtue he can get by paying obeisance to the Trinity for 10 years at Srimandir,” Dash claimed.
According to researchers, Srigundicha temple’s proximity to religious sites like Indradyumna tank and Srinilakantheswar shrine and Sri Nrusingha Dev shrine has added to its sanctity. “Many devotees take a dip at Indradyumna tank and offer puja to Srinilakantheswar and Nrusingha Dev before paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath at Adapmandap,” Dash said.