In a first in Odisha, a princess of a Gajapati family conducted the Chhera Pahnra (sweeping) ritual on the three Raths of lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadr and Devi Subhadra here on Sunday.
Princess Kalyani performed Chhera Pahnra on the chariots, Taladhwaja, Debadalan and Nandighosh on behalf of her father Maharaja Gopinath Gajapati who is ailing and undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospitals in Bhubaneswar now.
Kalyani conducted the ritual after being advised by family and temple priests and senior citizens. Over 30,000 devotees witnessed the festival.
District Collector Sudhansu Mohan Samal and SP Sushil Kumara Panigrahi were present. As many as 12 platoons of police force were deployed for smooth conduct of the festival.
The car festival of the Jagannath Temple here is conceived to be the second-most carnival of its kind next to the Puri Shreemandir’s.
last year, the main priest of the temple had conducted the ritual on behalf of Gopinath Gajapati.
As per the age-old saying, no princess or daughter-in-law of any Gajapati family, including that of Puri, was ever given a chance to conduct the important ritual during any Rath Yatra.
Princess Kalyani created history in Odisha by conducting Chherapahnra as a woman, opined many.