Puri: Chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Haribol’ rent the air in Puri and the chariot pulling began on Thursday, marking the commencement of the sacred nine-day annual sojourn of the sibling deities of Shree Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town.
Lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad congregated on the Bada Danda facing the 12th century shrine to witness the grand procession. Three majestic chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and the divine weapon Sudarshan rolled on the Grand Road in Puri during the world-famous Rath Yatra.
Leading the grand procession, Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja Rath was the first of the three chariots started rolling forward amid the devotion of lakhs of devotees as the annual journey of the Trinity to the Gundicha Temple began..
The ceremonial pulling of the chariots began at around 5.10 pm, more than one hour behind schedule due to heavy rain, after the completion of the traditional Chhera Panhara ritual performed by Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, considered the foremost servitor of Lord Jagannath.
Earlier in the day, the deities were ceremonially escorted from the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine to their respective chariots during the sacred Dhadi Pahandi procession.
In keeping with centuries-old tradition, Chakraraj Sudarshan, the celestial weapon of Lord Jagannath, was first placed on Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan chariot, followed by the procession of Lord Balabhadra to Taladhwaja, Devi Subhadra to Darpdalan, and finally Lord Jagannath to Nandighosha.
The grand procession unfolded amid the rhythmic beats of traditional instruments, including the ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet) and telingi baja, while priests recited sacred Vedic hymns and Odissi dancers welcomed the deities with devotional performances.
After the Pahandi rituals, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb offered prayers before performing the revered Chhera Panhara ritual, symbolically sweeping the floors of the three chariots with a golden broom to signify humility and equality before the Lord.
After the completion of all rituals, devotees pulled the towering chariots towards the Gundicha Temple, located about 2.6 km from the main Jagannath Temple. The deities will remain at the Gundicha Temple for nine days before returning to the sanctum during the Bahuda Yatra.
Undeterred by heavy rain, the spiritual fervour remained undiminished as devotees in lakhs thronged Puri to witness the annual festival, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
