Puri: With the Odisha government leaving nothing to chance after the gross mismanagement of Rath Yatra, which led to loss of three lives, the Bahuda Yatra (return journey) of the Holy Trinity was conducted smoothly in Puri on Friday.
Shaken by the series of untoward incidents, the administration meticulously planned the Bahuda event, revamping traffic arrangements and the command and control centre to effectively manage the crowd. The government engaged with the servitors to perform all rituals on time, including the conduct of the pahandi (ceremonial procession of deities).
As a result, the pahandi was completed by 1.30 pm, one hour before the scheduled time. The Chhera Pahanra ritual was performed by Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on the three chariots and completed by 3.30 pm.
The Taladhwaja chariot carrying Lord Balabhadra was the first to roll out from Sharadhabali at around 4.37 p.m., followed by the Darpadalan chariot of Devi Subhadra and the Nandighosha chariot of Lord Jagannath. Over half a million devotees converged at Badadanda (Grand Road) and participated in the pulling of the chariots to the Jagannath temple. The crowd on the Bada Danda burst into ecstasy as the three majestic chariots proceeded towards the 12th century shrine.
The Lords of the 12th century shrine had been on a nine-day annual sojourn at Gundicha Temple, considered the place of their birth. The temple was decked up with flowers to bid adieu to the sibling deities.
Before the pulling of the three majestic and colourfully decorated chariots, a number special rituals were performed by the servitors inside the Gundicha Temple and near the raths.
Comments are closed.