Puri, July 6: The stage is set for the grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, set to begin on Sunday in the holy coastal city of Puri, Odisha. Hundreds of traditional carpenters and painters are busy giving the finishing touches to the three huge chariots that will carry the Lords.
"The Rath Yatra, observed on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha month of the Hindu calendar, is the most important festival of the Jagannath temple. During this time, the holy triad embarks on an annual nine-day sojourn to their birthplace, Gundicha Temple, located about three kilometres from the Jagannath Temple. Devotees from all sects and creeds come to glimpse the divine siblings during the Rath Yatra," explained a Jagannath culture researcher.
Traditionally, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra fall sick after being bathed with 108 pitchers of scented water during the Snan Yatra on the full moon day of the Jyeshtha month. Following this sacred bath, the deities remain in seclusion for 15 days, known as the 'Anasara' period, during which secret rituals are performed by a special group of servitors called 'Daitapati'. During this time, the deities are offered ayurvedic herbs and fruits to help them recover from the fever caused by the bath. They reappear in the 'Nava Youvan Darshan', usually observed a day before the Rath Yatra.
This year, however, the ‘Nabajouban Darshan’, ‘Netrotsav’ and Rath Yatra will all occur on the same day for the first time in 53 years, presenting a significant challenge for the priests and the administration to complete all rituals by the scheduled start of the chariot pulling at 5 pm on July 7.
The state government has declared the day after Rath Yatra a holiday since the chariot pulling will continue into the next day. "It is a unique and rare Rath Yatra that will be celebrated over two days (July 7-8). So, a decision has been taken to declare the day after Rath Yatra as a holiday," Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Tuesday.
During a review meeting on the Rath Yatra in Puri, CM Majhi sought the cooperation of all stakeholders, including servitors, district administration, and the local public, to ensure the smooth and hassle-free conduct of the festival.
"This situation last occurred in 1971 when Nava Youvan Darshan, Netrotsav, and Rath Yatra fell on the same day. At that time, the Pahandi Bije, the ceremonial procession of the holy siblings along with other deities from the 12th-century shrine to their respective chariots, started at 2 p.m., and the chariot pulling began at 7 pm,” said senior Daitapati servitor Binayak Das Mohapatra.
"This time, we aim to complete all the rituals inside the temple by 1 p.m., the scheduled time for the Pahandi rituals on July 7. We also expect more devotees to gather on Rath Yatra as they will miss the glimpse of the Lords on Nabajouban Darshan," he added.
