A child paints a sketch on rath yatra in front of the chariots parked near Gundicha temple in Puri. Pictures by Sarat Patra

Puri, July 3: Lord Jagannath’s better half, Goddess Lakshmi, today showed how upset she was for not having been invited for the vacation of her husband and his siblings.

In the unique tradition of Hera Panchami observed today, as part of rath yatra festival, the Goddess paid a visit to the Gundicha temple and expressed her anger by secretly trying to break the Nandighosha chariot parked outside temple.

Conducted every year on the fifth day of rath yatra, Hera Panchami has special significance in displaying how the deities of the Puri Jagannath temple live a social life that reflects Odia culture.

Late in the evening today, servitors carried the representative idol of Goddess Lakshmi, the Subarna Mahalakshmi, on a palanquin in a grand procession. The priests at the Gundicha temple welcomed the Goddess after which she was escorted to the sanctum.

“In ancient Odia, hera means ‘to see’. Since Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Jagannath see each other on the panchami after rath yatra, the occasion is hence known as Hera Panchami. It is a very special ritual for devotees,” said Jagannath culture expert, Surya Narayan Rathasharma.

Subarna Mahalakshmi was seated in front of Lord Jagannath who, along with his siblings, is seated on the adapa mandap of the Gundicha temple. After offering special prayers to the Goddess, the Pati Mohapatra sevayat conveyed her message to Jagannath to return to the temple soon.

“It is a beautiful ritual that displays communication between the Lord and the Goddess,” said Rathasharma. “As a reply to the Goddess’ request, Lord Jagannath gives an agyan mala (a garland of consent) which the Goddess carries and returns to her temple,” he said.

After the rituals inside the temple were over, the servitors made arrangements to return to the Jagannath temple with the Goddess carried in her palanquin.

Servitors carry Subarna Mahalakshmi in a palanquin for Hera Panchami rituals near the Nandighosha in Puri

The upset Goddess is believed to command a servitor to break a portion of the Nandighosha chariot of Jagannath. Hence, following the tradition, a servitor conducted the ratha bhanga neeti today.

To cover up this act, her servitors first carried the palanquin to a tamarind tree outside the Gundicha temple under which she hid and then she was carried to the Jagannath temple through a secret passage in the hera gohri lane, to ensure this was a secret adventure.

Devotees gathered in large numbers to witness the event. “It is a matter of great fortune to see Goddess Lakshmi seated in front of Jagannath. It was a special moment to view this,” said Bhagabati Sankar, a devotee from Raipur.