Over 10 lakh devotees thronged the Grand Road in this temple town on Friday to witness the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
The pulling of the chariots — Nandighosh of Lord Jagannath, Taladhwaja of Lord Balabhadra and Darpadalan of Devi Subhadra — went off smoothly. The journey began amidst chants of “Haribol” and “Jai Jagannath”, as devotees danced and tugged at the ropes of the elaborately decorated wooden chariots.
The rituals began early on Friday morning with servitors bringing the deities out of the sanctum sanctorum of the Shree Jagannath Temple in a ceremonial procession known as Pahandi Bije. The deities then embarked on their nine-day sojourn to the Shree Gundicha Temple.
The floor of the Singhadwara, where the chariots were parked, was adorned with intricate rangolis. “I was elated. It took us nearly three hours to complete,” said Shankar Das, an artist.
Dancers, including some dressed as Hindu deities, performed in front of the chariots.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati performed rituals on the chariots.
The Pratham Sevak (first servitor) of Lord Jagannath, Puri’s titular king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, arrived in a hooded palanquin from his palace to the Singhadwara. Clad in pristine white, he swept the decks of the three chariots with a golden broom, performing the Chhera Pahanra ritual.
“This ritual signifies the complete surrender of ego before the Lord. Whether one is a king or a commoner, all are equal before him,” said Jagdish Das Mohapatra, a senior servitor of the shrine.
Asked about the “Jagannath Dham” controversy surrounding the newly constructed Jagannath temple in Bengal’s Digha, Mohapatra shrugged it off. “You think it matters? See the answer is here,” he said, pointing to the massive crowd pulling the chariots.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the Shankaracharya at his ashram and joined the Yatra. Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, recovering from a surgery, missed the festival but watched the proceedings from his hospital bed and conveyed greetings to the people.
The enthusiasm of the devotees peaked once the titular king completed his ceremonial duties. The first chariot to roll was Taladhwaja, followed by Darpadalan. Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, was the last to move.
“A sea of crowd moved with the chariots down the Grand Road. It was a sight worth witnessing,” said 63-year-old Shree Pradhan, who travelled from Germany for the occasion.
The chariots were halted mid-way and did not reach the Shree Gundicha Temple on Friday. Nandighosh had to be stopped barely a few metres from the Singhadwara. As per tradition, the chariots will resume their journey on Saturday.
Puri remains under a security blanket for the festival. Arrangements will stay in place till July 8, the day of Niladri Bije, when the deities return to the sanctum sanctorum of their original abode.
Scribes ‘beaten up’
More than seven journalists sustained injuries after they were allegedly beaten up by police while trying to enter the security cordon surrounding the three chariots.
Pradyumna Mohanty, a senior journalist, said: “We went to Puri with officials of the information and public relations department, carrying valid passes. However, we were not allowed to enter the cordon. Instead, we were beaten up by the police, causing injuries to at least seven of our colleagues.”
Condemning the incident, Biju Janata Dal spokesperson Lenin Mohanty demanded immediate intervention of the chief minister and action against the
policemen involved.