Puri: Preparations for Bahuda Yatra in Odisha’s Puri are progressing smoothly after a brief weather-related delay, setting the stage for the grand return journey of the sibling deities to Shree Jagannath Temple.
The Dakshina Moda (southward turning), which aligns the chariots towards the main temple’s Singhadwara, faced a slight setback on Tuesday when heavy rain and waterlogging near Shree Gundicha Temple forced authorities to temporarily suspend the ritual. While Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot managed to complete its turn before the torrential downpour began around 5:30 pm, the rituals for Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot were halted midway, and Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot was postponed.
Following an orange warning issued by the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee confirmed that safety precautions were taken and the remaining turns would resume the following day. “In view of heavy rainfall, Dakshini Moda of Taladhwaja Ratha has been temporarily postponed at its current location. Tomorrow (Wednesday), it will be pulled towards Sharadhabali along with the Nandighosha Ratha. Necessary barricading and security measures will be ensured at the current locations of all
Ratha by Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration in coordination with the security forces. Similarly, appropriate steps will be taken to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on Bada Danda. We seek the kind cooperation of all Sevayatas and devotees.”
By Wednesday, the ceremonial turns for both Taladhwaja and Nandighosha chariots were successfully completed, bringing all three chariots to their designated positions near Nakachana Dwara, the exit gate of Shree Gundicha Temple, facing west. As the deities’ divine stay at Janmabedi draws to a close, thousands of devotees have gathered at Saradha Bali to witness these traditional rituals and seek blessings.
In anticipation of the massive influx of pilgrims for Bahuda Yatra on July 24, where the chariot procession will take place between 10 am and 6 pm, the district administration and the SJTA have put extensive security deployment, traffic regulation, barricading, and crowd management measures in place to ensure a safe and smooth conduct of the festival.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed preparations for Bahuda Yatra and directed officials to ensure foolproof crowd management and security arrangements in Puri.
Bahuda Yatra will be followed by the ceremonial Suna Besha of the sibling deities atop the chariots on July 25, which is expected to draw more than 10 lakh devotees.The Adharapana ritual will be held the following day. Niladri Bije ritual on July 27, when the deities are ceremonially escorted into the main temple sanctum via a ritual procession known as Pahandi, will mark the culmination of the annual Rath Yatra, which started on July 16 with the chariot ride to their birthplace at Shree Gundicha Temple, nearly 3 km from the main temple.