Bhubaneswar, June 25: Yet another princess today took on the mantle of her father and performed rituals associated with the car festival.
Kalyani Devi, the daughter of Paralakhemundi Maharaja Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo, today performed the chhera pahara (sweeping the chariot's path) at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district. Kalyani Devi performed the rituals on behalf of her ailing father.
The 73-year-old Gajapati is ailing and is under treatment and there were allegations that he had fallen sick after alleged confinement by his late manager Ananga Manjari Patra.
The public furore over the confinement had led Ananga, her sister Bijaylaxmi and brothers Sanjay and Santosh to allegedly commit suicide at Paralakhemundi on August 21. Deo's only surviving daughter, Kalyani Devi, who had been living in Chennai had returned to Paralakhemundi after two decades, had been taking care of her ailing father. Like in Dharakot, the scion of local royal family Sulakhyana Gitanjali Devi, Kalyani today performed the rituals. The festival was also celebrated at several places including 40 places in Bhubaneshwar - Patia temple, Iskcon temple, KIIT University and Dumduma amid thousands of devotees pulling the chariots. Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said adequate police personnel had been deployed to regulate traffic and maintain law and order. "No untoward incident took place during the festival.Traffic personnel were also deployed at major traffic intersections of the city," said Bhoi.
Similarly, thousands of devotees pulled decked put chariots of the trinity amid chants of " Jai Jagannath" during rath yatra organised in various parts in Cuttack city, the notable ones being at Ranihaat, Dolamundai and Chandni Chowk.
Cuttack collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath and other deities at the onset of the rath yatra at the Baldevjew temple at Ranihat. Mishra tugged the rope of the chariot and flagged of the yatra as devotees pulled the rope amidst rhythmic beats of cymbals and drums moving through the main street.
The Baldevjew temple continued with its single chariot tradition for rath yatra. "Rath yatra was started by us two years ago with the biggest chariot (25ftx20ft). This year we have added two horses to the chariot," temple managing trustee Manoj Kumar Sahoo said.
