The chariots turns south to face the Jagannath temple for return journey in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Puri, July 4: The three chariots of the deities of Jagannath temple that were parked outside Gundicha temple after rath yatra, were today turned around as a sign of preparation for the upcoming bahuda yatra (return car festival).

Devotees, who visited the deities today got a chance to witness the unique ceremony called the ratha dakshina moda. On rath yatra, Lord Jagannath travelled on Nandighosha, Lord Balabhadra on Taladhwaja and Subhadra on Debadalana chariots to the Gundicha temple. Devotees pulled the three chariots and parked them at Saradha Bali facing the entrance of the visiting temple.

On the sixth day of the festival and the day following the Hera Panchami rituals, the chariots are turned around to face the Jagannath temple.

“This is a special occasion of rath yatra festival. On the previous day, servitors of Goddess Lakshmi broke a part of the chariot during Hera Panchami. Finding this out, servitors of the holy Trinity ensure that the upcoming return journey should be safe and hence make preparations,” said Rama Chandra Das Mohapatra, a daitapati servitor.

“The parts of the chariots are oiled and checked for fittings and then turned towards the Jagannath temple one after another,” he said.

The first chariot to be turned around towards southern direction facing Jagannath temple was the Debadalana of Subhadra following which Balabhadra and Jagannath’s chariots were turned.

“We always begin auspicious ceremonies with Goddess Subhadra’s blessings and so her chariot was the first to be rotate,” said Das Mohapatra. “It is a belief that people who get a darshan of the dakshina moda are sure to attain salvation,” said Jagannath culture expert Surya Narayan Rath Sharma.

After the dakshina moda ritual was observed on Friday, the rahas ceremony of the deities will begin inside the Gundicha temple according to the traditional itinerary.

It is a three-day ceremony of felicitating Madan Mohan, the representative deity of Jagannath. The idol of Madan Mohan is escorted to rasa mandap in Gundicha temple where hymns from Gita Govinda and ancient couplets are sung in praise of the Lord.

The festival of rath yatra that began on June 29 will conclude on Wednesday after a series of ceremonies such as bahuda yatra, sunabesha and the niladri bije.