Puri: Braving intermittent rain and high humidi ty, more than 10 lakh devotees converged on the pilgrim town of Puri to witness the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra Thursday. Devotees lined the Grand Road from early morning to witness the Pahandi procession and take part in pulling the three majestic chariots. Despite the inclement weather, the spiritual fervour remained undiminished as chants of “Jai Jagannath” and “Haribol” echoed across the town. However, the festivities were marred by an inordinate delay in Lord Jagannath’s Pahandi.
Although the ritual began at 9.00 am, about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, it concluded only around 2.30 pm — more than two hours behind the expected timeline. According to senior servitors, the delay occurred after Lord Jagannath’s giant tahia (floral headgear) slipped and broke during the procession. Despite repeated attempts, it could not be restored, forcing the servitors to carry the deity without the traditional headgear. The absence of the tahia and Lord Jagannath’s customary rhythmic gallop — one of the most captivating moments of the Pahandi — disappointed devotees who had waited for hours in the rain for a glimpse of the deity. When Lord Jagannath finally emerged from the Lion’s Gate, devotees were surprised to see the deity adorned only with Tulsi leaves instead of the customary tahia. However, the crowd responded with immense devotion. Earlier in the day, servitors performed customary rituals, including Mangal Arati, Mailum, Tadap Lagi, Abakasha, Surya Puja and Rosa Homa, before offering bhog ahead of the ceremonial Pahandi.
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Accompanied by the rhythmic beats of ghantas and mridangas and the blowing of conches, Daita servitors ceremonially escorted Lord Balabhadra to Taladhwaja, Devi Subhadra to Darpadalana, and Lord Jagannath to Nandighosha. Odissi dancers led the divine procession. The ceremonial Ch hera Pahanra was performed by Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb after he arrived in a richly decorated palanquin at around 4.00 pm. The ritual on all three chariots concluded by 4.40 pm. After the wooden ladders were removed and the wooden horses fixed to Taladhwaja, devotees were allowed to pull Lord Balabhadra’s chariot at around 5.00 pm. Devi Subhadra’s chariot began moving at around 6.00 pm but soon halted near Marichikote Square as Taladhwaja remained stationary ahead of it.
Later, Nandighosha was pulled only a few metres from the Lion’s Gate before being halted for the night. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) estimated that 10-12 lakh devotees participated in the Rath Yatra. SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said the deities would remain on the chariots overnight and that chariot pulling would resume at 9.30 am Friday. “The sibling deities will remain on the chariots Friday night as well, while the entry procession into the Gundicha Temple will be held Saturday,” he said. Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati offered prayers before the Holy Trinity on their respective chariots. CM Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CMs Pravati Parida and Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Puri MP Sambit Patra and several state Cabinet ministers witnessed the annual festival.
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