The annual Rath Yatra festival was observed with much fanfare in several places of Jagatsinghpur district on Thursday.
In a unique gesture of communal harmony, people of all religious communities participated in the yatra at Paradip Port town by pulling chariot on Thursday.
“God is one and one has the liberty to follow any religion of his choice. But some people with vested interests sow seeds of hatred,” said Paradip Jagannath temple management trusty Baistamba Mohanty, while speaking on the unique cultural harmony in the port town.
District Collector SK Mohapatra attended the Siddhal Rath Yatra and performed the sweeping ritual. Nearly, 10,000 devotees form surrounding villages had congregated at the place and chariot pulling was late due to rains in evening.
At Dhyanakuda Jagannath Temple in Biridi block, chariot pulling was started after 4 pm. Pramoda Nandi, the local designated king, performed the sweeping ceremony and Baba Arakhita Das titled Shankaracharya of the Pitha coordinated the celebration.
The Jagannath temple at Garei in Naugaon block also witnessed about 20,000 devotees in spite of rains on Thursday evening. This year Maa Subhadra chariot was pulled by women and adolescent girls from localities. Local gentleman Kedar Nath Biswal performed the ritualistic sweeping.
In coastal Erasama block, the Rath Yatra was held at the Sarabanta Jagannath Temple in Gadaharishpur gram panchayat (GP), where a huge crowd had turned up to participate in the fest.
At Paradip, PPT Chairman Rinkesh Ray performed the sweeping rituals where chariot pulling started after 4 pm.
The most glittering Rath Yatra was observed at Kunjabihari Temple in Gadakujanga GP near Kujanga on Saturday, where the chariot is pulled a day after. On the day of the Rath Yatra, all rituals are performed but the deities take rest in the chariot till the next day.
As per the tradition, the sweeping act was performed by Paradip MLA Sambit Routray Rout.