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Thousands witness Bahuda yatra

Staff Reporter

The deities return to main temple from Gundicha temple

Photo: PTI

Crowd-puller: A little girl walking a tightrope during the return car festival in Puri on Tuesday. –

BHUBANESWAR: Thousands of devotees thronged the seaside town of Puri to witness festival of grand return of deities, called Bahuda Jatra, to the main temple Shree Jagannath Temple on Tuesday.

The deities, Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra, who were on their respective chariots, were pulled on the three-km long Grand Road, after their seven-day stay in Gundicha Temple known as their aunt’s temple.

On the way back, the deities were stopped for a while and offered ‘poda pitha’, a typical cake made of rice, lentils, jaggery and coconut, by their aunt (Mausima). Amidst chanting of ‘haribol’ and ‘Jai Jagannath’, the ceremonial ‘pahandi’ began by 11.40 am and was completed by 1.50 pm. Three chariots of Lord Chariots reached Shree Mandir Temple by 5 pm.

On reaching back the main temple, the deities, on their chariots, would don the golden attire or the ‘sunavesa’, with hands, arms and crown made of solid gold.

The famous sunavesh would be held on July 26 while the deities would enter into the sanctum sanctorum on the July 28, which is called Niladri Bije.

The vehicles were also controlled on their way to Puri town.

Tight security arrangements were put in place to control devotees who had mainly come from Orissa. The grand return ceremony assumed significance as devotees got to see deities on chariots.

KORAPUT: Lord Jagannath with His elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra returned from Sri Gundicha temple at Sabara Srikhetra on Tuesday.

A large number of people from various parts of the district witnessed the return car festival.

During the nine-day ‘rath yatra’ celebrations the Lord was dressed in different forms of Dasavataras. Devotees were offered prasad comprising malapua, gaja, bundi ladu, coconut ladu, balsa and anna bhog.

The three lords would now be there on the chariot placed in front of Srimandir, the original temple for the next three days before being carried back into the temple by the devotees on Friday evening.

The devotees would be able to witness the three Lords on the chariot in Durgamadhav besha on Wednesday with golden ornaments in Sunabesha on Thursday.

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