Puri, July 1: Niladri Bije ritual is one of the phenomenal festivals of Lord Jagannath which is held in the end session of the annual car festival celebrated in Puri.
This festival marks the homecoming of Lord Jagannath with his siblings after a long-time stay, away from the Jagannath temple and out of the sanctum sanctorum of Shree Jagannath Temple.
Niladri Bije Niti is performed on the day after the Adhara Pana Niti, which is performed on the chariots of the deities. Following it, the deities are taken into the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath temple in a grand procession, as they were escorted to the Raths on the Rath Yatra and the Bahuda amid a sea of devotees and servitors.
After performing some vedic formalities on all the three chariots, the Niladri Bije Niti is begun in the early morning of the Trayadashi Day in the month of Asadha. With a ceremonial
festivity on the Grand Road, Lord Jagannath returns with his siblings from the rath to the main temple in a remarkable procession known as Goti Pahandi. After coming abode, the deities are reunited with Maa Laxmi in the Shree Mandir after meeting Maa Bimala on the way. Later in the evening, the deities return to the bejeweled throne called Ratna Bedi after pacifying the anger and discontent of Maha Laxmi the presiding Goddess of the Jagannath Temple.
Ocean of devotees consider it a great fortune to have a glance at the Niladri Bije of the deities which marks the reunion of Lords, Gods and deiteies in Nilachal Dham(Puri Shree Kshetra shrine) with their siblings in the Shree Jagannath temple once in a year.
