lakhs of devotees on Wednesday feasted Mahaprasad here on the occasion of Sandhyadarshan which took place on the evening of the ninth day of the Rath Yatra, considered as the most auspicious and holy.
The Gundicha Temple kitchen was busy as the cooks prepared huge quantity of Mahaprasad for the offering to the lords and the devotees patently waited to get it. The price of the Mahaprasad was hiked as the devotees in large numbers jostled to buy.
As per the religious belief, he who has a darshan of the Baman (deities) in the Aadap Mandap gets salvation. Offering prayers to lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra atop the pedestal in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gundicha temple and consuming Mahaprasad in the temple complex earn huge Punya, so goes the belief.
Meanwhile, hectic preparations were underway for the “BahudaYatra” (return Car Festival) scheduled for Thursday. All the three Raths were parked at the Saradhabali in front of the Nakachana Dwar (exit gate) of the Gundicha temple, ready to return to the Shreemanir.
As per the temple release, the deities would be escorted out in Goti Pahandi (one by one) from the sanctum sanctorum of the Gundicha temple after observance of Abakash, Mailum, Surya Puja and offering of Gopal Bhog to the deities. The Pahandi would commence by 12pm. The Chherapahanra by Gajapati Divyasingh Dev would be performed then. If the rituals run as per the fixed schedule, the pulling of the first Rath, Taladhwaj of Balabhadra, would begin by 4pm. Elaborate security cover had been laid for the return car fete, said sources.