The longest journey of chariot covering 11 km from Chhatia to Badaghumari in Jajpur district began on Wednesday. This is the longest journey any chariot in the State covers. The chariot will take five days to cover the distance.
Flagged off by chief priest of the temple Upendra Ojha on Wednesday afternoon amidst chanting of hymns, the Rath embarked on its journey through the National Highway no- 5 and congested village roads. The chariot halted at many places and a large number of devotees worshipped lord Jaganath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
“Earlier, the authority had denied us the permission for the chariot to cover 14 km due to bad condition of roads. But in 1999, the authority for the first time allowed the temple management committee to pull the chariot covering 14 km after the authority constructed and widened the village road,” said Ojha.
A huge crowd thronged the temple and then joined the procession as it began its journey under the watchful gaze of police personnel who had spread out through the journey routes including the NH- 5.
“The villagers and the managing committee members of the temple cleaned the village roads for the smooth journey of the chariot. In the past, chariot stuck at some places due to poor condition of the road. But thanks to the PMGSY, all the village roads are now concrete for which chariot moves smoothly,” said Chatia Gram Panchayat sarapanch Ramesh Prusty.
The pedestal of the Jaganath temple at Chhatia is empty and each day the priests of the temple worship it with a hope that lord Jagannath will arrive someday from Puri to Chhatia.
“Since time immemorial the priests of the temple and a large number of devotees have been waiting for the arrival of the deities. As per the tradition of the temple, every day the priests and devotees of the temple do any types of construction works for the imminent arrival of the deities,” said Dr Suresh Chandra Dalai of Chhatia.
“We repair the doors, windows and do small construction works in the temple as the construction works will only stop after the arrival of lord Jaganath from Puri to this temple,” said Padmalava Das, a priest.
Some scientists and environmentalists link the predictions of the submergence of the Jagannath temple in sea water by Achutananda Das to global warming and the rise of sea level.