Puri: The pulling of the chariots of Lord Jagannath and His Siblings to the Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri was underway Friday as part of the annual Rath Yatra festival that commenced a day ago, officials said.
None of the three chariots had reached the temple, around 2.6 km away from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple, due to a delay in the ‘Pahandi’ rituals Thursday, they said.
The Deities remained on the chariots overnight.
Braving the rain and humidity, lakhs of devotees were seen pulling the chariots of The Trinity – Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath – this morning with chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ reverberating in the air.
In a video message, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, considered the first servitor of Lord Jagannath and sibling deities, said, “There is nothing wrong in chariot pulling being made on the day after the scheduled Rath Yatra. Many times, the chariots could not reach the destination on schedule, and they were pulled the next day. The chariot pulling was halted on Thursday due to darkness.”
Lord Balabhadra’s ‘Taladhwaja’ chariot had stopped at Market Chhak after covering around 700 metres on the Grand Road.
Similarly, Devi Subhadra’s ‘Darpadalana’ chariot halted at Marichikote Chhak after covering around 400 metres, while Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot was pulled only for a few yards and remained near Singhadwar (Lion’s Gate) of the main temple, the officials said.
While the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) estimated that 10-12 lakh devotees participated in the Rath Yatra, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) put the turnout at 8-9 lakh.
“There was absolutely no delay in rituals, but the ‘Pahandi’ was delayed by over one hour. Lord Jagannath’s idol did not move for about 40 minutes at the main gate, due to which the ‘Pahandi’ was delayed,” SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters.
Padhee said the sibling deities would stay on the chariots Friday night, while the entry procession into the Gundicha Temple, considered the birthplace of the sibling deities, would be held Saturday, he added.
Despite adverse weather conditions, all rituals were completed on time, but the movement of Lord Jagannath’s idol was delayed by 40 minutes, affecting the chariot pulling schedule, another temple administration official said.
On the absence of the traditional ‘Tahika’ (ornate floral crown) during Lord Jagannath’s ‘Pahandi’ ritual, Padhee said it was removed as it became wet and heavy due to rain.
The annual Rath Yatra is held on the second day of the Odia month of ‘Ashadha Shukla Tithi’ and is the only occasion when the sibling deities are taken out from the ‘Ratna Sinhasana’, the bejewelled throne of the temple.
The chariot pulling had begun Thursday after the ceremonial ‘Chhera Pahanra’ (sweeping of chariots) by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and the visit of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, a temple official said.
Amid chants of ‘Hari Bol’, beating of cymbals and blowing of trumpets and conch shells, a large number of devotees witnessed the festival as the rain subsided.
Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirit of devotees, who were seen dancing and celebrating on the Grand Road.
Special arrangements were made to drain rainwater from the Grand Road and facilitate the procession, as devotees were pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from the 12th-century shrine to the Gundicha Temple.
On Thursday, two persons died and five others fell ill in a temporary crowd surge and uncomfortable weather conditions during the Rath Yatra celebrations in this rain-soaked town, according to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
During the festival, seven people felt unwell, and they were shifted to the hospital without delay, the CMO said in a statement.
PTI
