Puri: With final preparations underway for the grand Rath Yatra, public darshan has been suspended in Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Wednesday.
With barely a day left for the annual festival, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) decided to suspend public darshan of the sibling deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to ensure smooth preparations.
Ahead of the car festival, the three majestic chariots — Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha, Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja and Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana — will be brought from the Rathakhala and placed in front of the 12th century shrine.
A day after the Nabajoubana Darshan on Tuesday, during which devotees had the first glimpse of the deities following the Anasara period, the Ubha Yatra ritual is being performed on Wednesday.
As per temple tradition, the daily rituals including Gopal Ballav and Sakala Dhupa have been performed in the morning. This will be followed by the sacred Agyanmala Bije ritual, in which the divine garland of permission will be ceremonially brought from the deities to the chariots by the servitors in a traditional procession.
After the completion of the Agyanmala Bije, the chariots will be pulled from the Rathakhala and positioned in front of the Singhadwara – Lion’s Gate – of the Jagannath Temple.
As per convention, Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot will be moved first, followed by Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot and Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot. These rituals mark the final stage of preparations before the grand procession of the Rath Yatra begins on Thursday.
