Puri: The Padhandi ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, who will embark on nine-day annual sojourn, began at the 12th-century shrine in Odisha’s Puri around 9.30 am on Tuesday after the consecration of the chariots – Nandighosha for Lord Jagannath and Madan Mohan, Debadalana Ratha for Devi Subhadra and Shri Chakraraj Sudarshan and Taladhwaja for Balabhadra Prabhu and Ramakrishna.
The word Pahandi originates from the Sanskrit word Padamundanam, which in the local dialect means a slow step-by-step movement with the spreading of feet.
According to ‘Dhadi Pahandi’ tradition, Shri Chakraraj Sudarshan is taken to the chariot first, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannatha. A wooden cross is fixed to their backs and thick silken ropes are tied around their heads and waists for this ceremonial procession. At the seven-stairs northern exit from the dancing hall, the three deities assemble and receive giant floral crowns, called Tahiya, richly decorated massive headgears offered by the Raghav Das Mutt.
Lord Sudarshana and Devi Subhadra are carried on the shoulders while Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath are literally dragged through the Pata Agana, Anand Bazaar, inner Lion’s Gate, Baishi Pahacha, Lion’s Gate, Gumuti, Arunastambha and finally to their respective chariots in rhythmic movement amid the beat of cymbals and chanting by the devotees in frenzied ecstasy.
After Pahandi rituals, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati paid obeisance to the sibling deities on their chariots.
While Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb will perform ‘Chherapahanra’ atop the three chariots between 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm. The king will be taken on a palanquin from his royal palace, which is about 300 metres from the temple. The ritual will be completed by 3.30 pm following which wooden horses will be fixed to the chariots. Sarathis (charioteers) will mount the three chariots before pulling begins at 4 pm.
Elaborate arrangements have been made in the pilgrim town for smooth conduct of the festival with deployment of 6,000 police personnel of state police and 180 personnel of Rapid Action Force. In view of the prevailing heatwave, the administration has procured around 40 lakh water bottles for free distribution among devotees. Adequate healthcare facilities have been set up to attend to devotees if they suffer a heatstroke. Six water mist machines have also been deployed to sprinkle water on devotees at Bada Danda. “Partly cloudy sky condition is expected in Puri on Rath Yatra as southerly winds have started blowing towards Odisha,” scientist at Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Umasankar Das told the media.
