Puri: Hari Bol and the jubilant sounds of Hulahuli echoed through Srikshetra as devotees throng the holy city of Puri in Odisha for Bahuda Yatra of the Lords of Shree Jagannath Temple. Adding grace and rhythm to the electric atmosphere at Saradhabali, Odissi dancers performed before the three massive chariots as lakhs of pilgrims gathered from early morning to catch a glimpse of the deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
Observed on Ashadha Shukla Dashami, the sacred day marks the journey of the deities from Shree Gundicha Temple back to the 12th-century Srimandir after their annual sojourn to janmabedi (birthplace).
The morning commenced with customary rituals at the Gundicha Temple, paving the way for the traditional Pahandi procession to seat the deities on their chariots. This will be followed by the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra performed by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri before eager crowds pull the chariots along Bada Danda. Elaborating on the spiritual context of the nine-day festival, chief servitor Pandit Suryanarayan Rath Sharma said, “Today is the sacred Ashadha Shukla Dashami tithi. Lord Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu was seated on the three chariots during the Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya tithi for the Rath Yatra, and came to this place to celebrate the Antarvedi Mahotsav. Seated on the chariots, the fourfold deities arrived here and were installed at the Adapa Mandapa, where devotees have been offering worship and having darshan. Today is the Bahuda Yatra. This is called the nine-day journey. Between the onward and return journeys, they stayed for seven days here at the Gundicha Mandapa.”
Devotees from across Odisha and the nation filled the streets, many having waited through the night to offer prayers. Capturing the emotional resonance of the day, one devotee shared, “I have come here for the first time in my life, my mother had come three months back. I had come to have a darshan. It feels not to return from here… I am here from morning 2 am, waiting for lord to have a darshan. I would recommend everyone to come here once and have a darshan…”
The Puri district administration and police have implemented extensive arrangements for the massive gathering. Satyajit Nayak, IG Police, detailed the security measures: “Today, Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbhadra and Devi Subhadra will be taken out. Seven lakh devotees are expected to attend the yatra. We have planned multi-layered comprehensive police security with deployment of 223 platoon forces. 50 platoons have been deployed for traffic management and 50 platoons for crowd control. There are 20 crowd response teams equipped with oxygen cylinders and stretchers. If any devotee feels unwell, the teams will provide immediate assistance and ensure prompt medical care. Medical aid posts have been set up. The police have also established help desks, including at the facilitation centres. To tackle heatwave conditions, arrangements have been made for water sprinkling. In case of heavy rainfall, dewatering pumps have been deployed at designated locations to prevent waterlogging.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of devotees flooded the Gundicha temple on Thursday for Sandhya Darshan. The ninth day of the Rath Yatra is considered particularly auspicious for seeking blessings from the sibling deities on the Adapa Mandap. Sandhya Darshan concluded at 6 PM, paving the way for the Daita servitors to prepare the deities for their return journey. Over the course of four hours, servitors meticulously fitted the deities with protective armor—Chhena Patta, Kusumi, and Bahuta Kanta—to cushion them against the physical strain of the Pahandi procession. Concurrently, Suansia servitors installed the Charamalas (wooden ramps) on the three chariots and the Ratna Simhasan inside the sanctum sanctorum to ensure a smooth ritual transfer.
While Bahuda Yatra marks the return of the deities after their week-long stay at Adapa Mandapa, the vibrant celebrations are far from over. The grand event will be followed by the ceremonial Suna Besha (golden attire) of the deities on July 25, which is expected to draw over 10 lakh devotees, followed by the rituals of Adhara Pana and finally Niladri Bije, when the deities re-enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple to conclude the festival.
