Students of Sai International School prepare a chariot and an image of Lord Jagannath ahead of car festival in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 8: The sibling trio of Jagannath temple, Puri, met their devotees today on the occasion of Nabajouban Darshan. Thousands queued up around the sanctum to get a glimpse of the deities who came back from their hibernation after undergoing a special treatment.

Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were today seated on their throne in the sanctum after a fortnight of absence. The deities had fallen sick after a grand bath was conducted for them to get rid of the heat and soothe them.

They were being treated at a secret site and thus had moved away from the sanctum sanctorum.

Today the usual rituals of the deities were carried out out like before in the temple after they finally recuperated.

Usually the deities come back to the sanctum and are available for darshan on the eve of rath yatra. However, like last year, this time too the occasion was observed two days before the car festival.

Devotees queue up in front of Jagannath temple to visit the deities on the occasion of Nabajouban Darshan in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Visitors from far and wide got a chance to see the deities in the temple before they start off on their weeklong vacation to Gundicha temple on rath yatra this Wednesday.

“We are very lucky to have caught a glance of the deities after they are back in good health. It was a relief to see the lords after a fortnight. The arrangements made by the servitors and temple administration helped us view the deities comfortably,” said Bhavika Patel, who came from Ahmedabad.

“The devotees will be allowed to view the lords till late in the evening beyond usual hours,” said Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, chief servitor of Lord Jagannath.

Following the blasts in Bodhgaya, the local police set up a tight security.

“We have installed CCTV cameras around and inside the temple and also have made stricter checking procedures of prohibited items such as phones, cameras and other articles,” said Sanjeev Marik, special DG of police.

At Ratha Khala, the chariot making is in its last stages. The cloths around the chariots were tied today whereas only a few touch ups of colour remaining apart from few fittings on the chariots.

With only a day remaining for the grand festival, the temple administration is making final arrangements while the flow of tourists is ever growing.

On Tuesday, the deities will be dressed in special clothes called Chhenapatta lagi, a special outfit for their journey. Devotees can have a darshan of the deities at the Jagannath temple all through the day tomorrow.