Angul: Jindal Nagar and its surrounding villages got repleted with an overwhelming sense of devotion as
Thousands of devotees from Jindal Nagar and its surrounding villages came together to celebrate Bahuda Yatra here on Wednesday for the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from Gundicha temple to the sacred Lord Jagannath Temple in Devbhoomi, Jindal Nagar.
Naveen Jindal, the prime servitor of the temple and Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), led the way along. His family members – including Chairperson Emeritus of OP Jindal Group Savitri Jindal, Chairperson of JSP Foundation Shallu Jindal, Chairperson of Oswal Group of Industries Aruna Oswal, Venkatesh Jindal and Yashasvini Jindal – also took part in the Bahuda Yatra.
They participated in the sacred ‘Pahandi Vidhi’ and performed ‘Chherapanhara’, a symbolic ritual representing the purification of the majestic chariots before their return to the main temple of Lord Jagannath.
The rituals were strictly in line with traditions observed at Jagannath Temple in Puri, as the auspicious day commenced at 5 am with Manima Daka and Dwar Phita (door opening), Bhitar Shodh neeti, followed by Mangal Aarati, Mailam, Tadap Lagi, Abakash Neeti, and other divine rituals.
Shallu Jindal performed Mangal Aarati in early morning and conducted puja vidhi at Gundicha temple under the guidance of Srikant ji, chief priest of the temple.
The local community and people from every corner of the district enthusiastically pulled the chariots with devotion and spiritual fervour.
Like the Gundicha Yatra, Bahuda Yatra was telecast live through social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube, enabling devotees around the world to witness the sacred festival.
The deities will continue to grace their chariots for two more days, celebrating Harisayan Ekadashi and Sunabesha on Thursday, followed by Adharpana on Friday and finally Neeladri Bije — back to Ratna Singhashan on Saturday.
Live Stream of Suna Besha
JSP has organised live telecast of Suna Besha, which will be streamed on June 29, 4 pm onwards. Devotees can access the live stream through the link — https://www.youtube.com/live/q2QxBIcwu2s.
In Puri, JSP Foundation continued its free hot cooked meal services — which started on June 19 — for thousands of devotees. JSP Foundation has so far served 9.4 lakh cooked meals from its live kitchen.