Puri: Hera pachamin to be held in Odisha’s Puri on Monday and its significance lies in its unique, love-filled depiction of divine marital discord, longing, and devotion between Lord Jagannath and His eternal consort, Goddess Lakshmi.
Observed on the fifth day (Panchami) of the annual Rath Yatra festival at Jagannatha Dham, the ritual of Hera Panchami serves as a captivating display of celestial drama that mirrors human relationships.
The Pangs of Separation
The divine pastime begins four days after Lord Jagannath, alongside His siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, departs Shree Jagannath Temple for their annual nine-day sojourn at Shree Gundicha Temple. Left behind at the main temple, Goddess Lakshmi grows deeply anxious and distressed by the continuous absence of her husband. On a suggestion by Goddess Bimala, the Tantric consort and guardian of 12th-century shrine, Goddess Lakshmi travels in a grand palanquin (Palinki) procession down the Bada Danda (Grand Road) late at night to catch a glimpse of the Lord.
The Wrath of Goddess Lakshmi
Upon her arrival at Gundicha Temple, Goddess Lakshmi is unable to meet Lord Jagannath, who remains surrounded by an ocean of servitors and devotees during the evening rituals. Feeling ignored and deeply hurt by the separation, the Goddess throws “Moha Churna” (a herb in powder form given to her by Goddess Bimala) at Her husband from Jaya Bijaya Dwara to cast a spell ensuring his speedy return to the main shrine.
With her anger still unresolved, she commands her servitors to symbolically damage a part of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, Nandighosha, parked outside the temple.
Reconciliation and the Return Journey
To soothe her intense fury, Lord Jagannath sends a representative, the Pati Mahapatra servitor, to offer the Goddess an Agyan Mala (a garland of consent) taken directly from the Lord’s idol. This formal token serves as a binding promise that the Lord will wrap up his visit and return to the main temple in three days.
Feeling a sudden wave of guilt for damaging the chariot, Goddess Lakshmi bypasses Grand Road on her way home. She slips away quietly and secretly through the narrow Gohiri Sahi route to return to Srimandir without any procession or fanfare.
According to the ancient Ratha Chakada scripture, the Hera Panchami ritual was not always this theatrical. It was originally introduced as a quiet ritual centered around Vedic chants. It was King Kapilendra Deb who revolutionised the tradition, introducing a grand golden idol of Goddess Lakshmi and turning the occasion into the spectacular public pageant witnessed by hundreds of thousands of devotees today.
Meanwhile, on Sunday night, devotees could not have a darshan of the sibling deities after 9pm, as Banakalagi rituals were performed at Adapa Mandap.