Puri: Hundreds of devotees Wednesday gathered near Srigundicha temple to witness the Hera Panchami ritual of Srimandir deities.
Goddess Laxmi, the consort of Lord Jagannath, Wednesday broke a piece of wood of Nandighosh chariot as part of the ritual.
According to Srimandir tradition, Goddess Laxmi is carried to Srigundicha temple for performance of Hera Panchami ritual. “Lord Jagannath embarks on his nine-day sojourn to Srigundicha temple without informing Goddess Laxmi. Miffed over this, the Goddess visits Srigundicha temple to urge her master to return Srimandir. She damages a portion of Lord’s chariot after he refuses to accompany her,” said a servitor.
As per the tradition, Srimandir servitors carried Goddess Laxmi to Srigundicha temple in a decorated palanquin amid beating of cymbals and blowing of horns in the evening.
Pati Mahapatra servitors offered puja to the Goddess near Srigundicha temple. Goddess Laxmi was placed at the Jagamohan of the shrine for performance of the ritual. The goddess was carried back to Srimandir through Heragouri Sahi after damaging Nandighosh chariot partially at Saradhabali.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) would turn the three chariots towards Srimandir Thursday as part of the preparation for Bahuda Yatra or return car festival.
Orphan kids get Lord’s darshan
Puri: Orphan kids from Jeevan Jyoti Ashram of Khandagiri here had darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, on Adapa Mandap of Gundicha Temple on the occasion of Hera Panchami Wednesday.
The children were escorted by senior law enforcement officials to the Gundicha Temple to seek blessings from the Trinity.
Arrangements were made by Puri district administration in which 70 children from the ashram had a special darshan of the deities. Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal accompanied by senior officials had Mahaprasad on the premises of Gundicha Temple after the darshan.
“We got the request from the Ashram for arranging a darshan and, it is our privilege to accept such request and execute it perfectly to bring happiness in the faces of the kids. The children have faced many hardships in their lives. Mahaprabhu’s darshan was indeed a moment of cheer for them,” Agarwal said.
Diptimayee Mohapatra, who was overwhelmed after the darshan, said she and her friends were delighted to “meet God.” “I prayed Lord Jagannath to excel in studies and become a good human being,” she said.
