A devotee prays as others pull the Rukuna rath near Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 18: Over one lakh devotees thronged Old Town on the occasion of Ashokastami today to pull Rukuna rath, the chariot of Lord Lingaraj, under a cloudy sky and a soothing drizzle.

Officials were anticipating a low turnout because of the scorching heat. But the weather did a somersault after 3pm when black clouds covered the sky. A strong breeze accompanied by a drizzle created the perfect atmosphere for devotees to participate in this annual festival.

“I was in two minds whether to go to pull the chariot or not, as the weather was hot and humid. But in the afternoon, the weather changed dramatically. It was cloudy, but luckily, did not rain heavily. So, my wife and I came to witness the chariot pulling and sought the lord’s blessings,” said Adarsha Martha, a resident of Chakeisiani.

A large number of devotees were seen pulling the four-wheel, 35-feet chariot draped in yellow, red, white and blue cloth. Thousands were cheering from the buildings on either side of the rath route.

“The Lingaraj temple gates opened at 4am following the schedule and rituals began. People were allowed to have darshan (sahanamela darshan or first auspicious view) of the deities after 4.30am. Other rituals followed but some were delayed because of some disturbances that forced the pahandi (escorting the deity from the temple to the chariot) to be delayed by around an hour,” said A.K. Pattnaik, executive officer of the Lingaraj temple administration.

Later, bronze images of three deities — Chandrasekhar (the representative deity of Lord Lingaraj), Rukmini and Basudeva — were brought out of the temple and installed on the chariot parked outside the shrine amidst beating gongs. Pahandi, which was scheduled to be conducted between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, was performed after 2.30pm today.

After a delay of around an hour, the devotees finally pulled the rath, which was overcrowded with priests and their kin, at 5.05pm. But the rope broke with one pull. Though the authorities had anticipated fewer people on the chariot, over hundred priests were atop it. It took around 45 minutes to attach a new rope and remove the extra people.

The Rukuna rath never “takes a turn” like the chariots in Puri. When this chariot returns after a five-day retreat at Mausima temple, the chariot is drawn from behind.