Devotees during bahuda yatra at OUAT colony in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, July 18: The atmosphere here was electric in bahuda with thousands gathering outside the Gundicha temple in Unit-VIII to pull the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra back home.

Sounds of conchs and gongs filled the atmosphere. Bhajans and kirtans were also organised.

Though the weather was hot and humid, dark clouds in the late afternoon brought some relief to the devotees.

Residents of Niladri Vihar, Sailashree Vihar, Vani Vihar and VSS Nagar also celebrated bahuda yatra by pulling chariots.

The residents of Patia village, which used to be a princely state, also took part in the festival. The festival had been stopped there for 78 years, before local residents resumed it in 2010.

“Rath yatra and bahuda yatra are very special for us as we feel very close to the deities. Now, we will have to wait for another year for the deities to come out of the temple and take a ride to the Gundicha temple,” said Anirban Pati, a resident of Patia.

“The festival has become a symbol of love and respect for Lord Jagannath. It is also closely associated with Odia culture. I have been a part of bahuda yatra almost every year,” said mayor Anant Narayan Jena, who also pulled the chariots at the event organised by Iskcon.

At Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, the idols were put on the three chariots and pulled back to the Jagannath temple in the Kalinga Institute for Social Sciences.

Hundreds of local residents also took part in the festival along with students.