Last Updated on 08/07/2024 by wccexam Desk
On July 8, the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra reached the Gundicha Temple in Puri
Jagannath Ratha Yatra 2024: The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra reached the Gundicha temple on Monday, marking the end of the first phase of the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri, Odisha.Thousands of people pulled the chariots while lakhs of devotees gathered on the roadside to watch the Rath Yatra at ‘Badadanda’ amid heat and humidity. The yatra began on Sunday evening but stopped after a few metres due to sunset. The 2.5-km journey from the 12th century temple to the Gundicha temple resumed at around 9.30 am on Monday and concluded at 2.35 pm.
The three grand chariots will be stationed outside the Gundicha Temple on the Grand Road and the deities will be taken inside the temple with a ceremonial procession on Tuesday. The deities will stay inside the temple for a week.Director General of Police Arun Sarangi also joined in pulling the chariots. “The chariots have reached their destination. We have formed a ring around the three chariots and are controlling the crowd. Adequate traffic arrangements have been made for smooth flow of vehicles,” he said.
Jagannath Rath Yatra was taken out on 7 July in Puri, Odisha
This time the Rath Yatra was a two-day affair after 53 years due to certain astronomical conditions. Breaking from tradition, some rituals including ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ and ‘Netra Utsav’ were held on Sunday. These rituals are usually held before the Rath Yatra.
‘Nabajouban Darshan’ means the vision of the Gods in their youthful form
‘Nabajoban Darshan’ means darshan of the deities in their younger form, who were confined in closed doors for 15 days in a ritual called ‘Anasara’ (quarantine) held after ‘Snaan Purnima’. According to mythology, the deities fall sick due to excessive bathing on ‘Snaan Purnima’ and hence remain confined in closed doors.
Priests performed a special ritual called ‘Netra Utsav’
Before the ‘Nabajouban Darshan’, priests performed a special ritual called ‘Netra Utsav’ in which the eyeballs of the deities are painted afresh. Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said that tight security arrangements have been made with the deployment of 180 platoons (one platoon consists of 30 personnel) of security personnel. Police said that artificial intelligence-based CCTV cameras have been installed at the festival venue ‘Bara Danda’ and other strategic places in the pilgrim town.