With one day left for the Bahuda Yatra of Lord Jagannath, baking the traditional special Poda Pitha was underway at a sacred place here on Monday. Servitors were busy preparing the favourite dish of Lord Jagannath which will be served to Him on the Bahuda Yatra on Tuesday.
Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr Krishan Kumar shared beautiful pictures of the Poda Pitha preparation through his twitter handle.
“Poda Pitha Getting ready!!! As per parampara (tradition), Poda Pitha is offered to Chaturdhamurti on #BahudaJatra at Mausima Mandir; situated almost in the middle of Bada Danda.
Preparations start from Hera Panchami day by using flour, desi ghee, raisins, cloves, cardamom etc,” Dr Kumar tweeted. According to mythology, a river called Malini was flowing between the Shreemandir and the Shree Gundicha Temple in the pilgrim city. As a result, six chariots were built.
The sibling deities rode in three large chariots from the Shree Jagannath temple to the Mausi Maa Temple, from where they were shifted to a boat and then taken to the Shree Gundicha Temple in the other three chariots.
Due to the high water level in the river, the servitors faced problems while crossing it. The deities’ aunt understood the hardships of the servitors and was instrumental in drying up the river for the smooth conduct of the festival.
To express his gratitude, Lord Jagannath then promised to make a halt near the Mausi Maa temple and accept Poda Pitha during Bahuda Yatra.