Boston: Odisha natives in Massachusetts recently hosted the third annual Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra, Suna Besha and Niladri Bije ceremonies of Lord Jagannath and siblings with much pomp and fanfare.
The mega celebration was organised by Odia community based in New England, USA, in association with New England Shirdi Sai Parivaar (NESSP). The New England’s Siridi Sai Temple is at Shirdi Way in Groton of Greater Boston and the sibling deities are currently stationed there. Apart from local residents of Massachusetts, around 800 Odias and non–Odia devotees along with their friends, family members and relatives from nearby Rhodes Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine also took part in the festival.
While rituals like Bigraha Puja of all four deities and yagna for Rath Yatra were performed in accordance with vedic norms, the four idols were taken in a grand procession to the decked-up 20 ft hight chariot, beautifully decorated with Pipli appliqué work and flowers, where devotees conducted the traditional sweeping of chariot, Chherra Pahanra. The entire atmosphere reverberated with bhajan and kirtan, chanting of hymns and Hari Bol and Jai Jagannath along with beating of ghanta, kartala, cymbals, jhanja and mrudanga and recitals of Odissi with the pulling of the chariot, which was taken around Sai Temple for around 2 km and then into the shrine premises.
The Lords were then escorted back to the gem-studded altar by the servitors and adorned in golden attire for Suna Besha as is the ritual at the main Jagannath Temple in Puri. Following this, arati was performed at the sanctum sanctorum.
The highlight of this year’s festival was the offering of 56 varieties of food items (Chhappan Bhog) specially prepared on the pattern of Anand Bazaar at Puri.
The cultural progromme saw Odissi and Jagannath bhanjan performances.
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