Despite rains, over seven lakh devotees participated on the annual Rath Yatra of lord Jagannath and His elder Balabhadra and sister Subhadra on Sunday.
All through the day, the sky was overcast and it was drizzling at times. Amid rains, the deities began their nine- day sojourn to their aunt’s house, Gundicha Ghar, but had to stay half way as all the three chariots could not make it to the destination.
The Daita servitors early in the morning prepared the deities for the Pahandi while a complex set of nitees was performed. After consecration of all three Raths by the priests, the ceremonial Pahandi procession began one hour behind the schedule at 10.25 am. First, it was lord Sudarshan’s, followed by lord Balabhadra’s, Maa Subhadra’s and lord Jagannath’s. The Pahandi was completed by 1.05 pm.
The devotees jostled among themselves to have a glimpse of the lord Jagannath as soon as he came taking huge gallops from the temple main gate, swinging his giant tiara. Haribol and hulahuli rented the air.
Odishi dance and martial arts were performed. Beautiful jhoti by artists on the festival site marked the Pahandi procession more colourful.
Sankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth Swamy Nischalananda Saraswati along with his six disciples came to the festival site and went onto the three Raths and offered prayers. Thereafter, Gajapati King Dibyasingh Dev came riding famous Mehna (palanquin) from his palace and performed the Chhera Pahnra (sweeping around the decks of three Raths) which began at about 2.50 pm and was over by 3.25 pm.
Thereafter, the servitors fixed wooden horses to the chariots and pulling of the Taladhwaj Rath of lord Balabhadra began by 3.54 pm.
Then, the Darapadalan Rath of Subhadra was pulled at about 4.30 pm and at last the pulling of the Nandighosh Rath was held at 5.15 pm.
It is learnt, as a result of some fault with the steering of the Taladhwaj Rath, there was marked delay in the pulling as it took much time to correct its line of run and made other chariots to go slow.
None of the three Raths could reach the Gundicha temple. The deities had to spend the night on the Raths as the pulling was suspended for the day at 6.45 pm.
While the Taladhwaj chariot was near the Balagandi, the Darpadalan, rested near the municipal market square. lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh chariot halted near the Town police station.
Pulling of the chariots would resume on the Monday morning. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Cabinet colleagues Maheswar Mohanty, Bikram Arukh, Pratap Jena and Assembly Speaker Pradip Amat were present. Besides, Chief Justice of Orissa HC Vineeet Saran and Supreme Court Judge Amitava Roy also witnessed the festival.