On the occasion of the auspicious Akshay Tritiya on Saturday, preparations for the annual Rath Yatra of lord Jagannath commenced with ‘Ratha Anukula’ that marked the beginning of chariots’ construction process.
Three 12-feet-long Dhaura logs were brought to the Ratha Khala (chariot making yard) near the Jagannath Temple. The process began with an axe being given the divine touch after getting the ‘Aajna Mala’ from the deities followed by special rituals conducted by temple priests.
lord Jagannath’s Chandan Yatra also began on the day and will continue for 21 days. During this summer festival of lord Jagannath, his representative deity Madan Mohan, along with the other deities, take a trip on a Chapa (a traditional boat) in the holy Narendra Pond, not far from the temple, as part of the lord’s water sport called ‘Chapa Khela’.
