Tuhina Sahoo
Bhubaneswar, July 8: While the Rath Yatra of Puri is renowned for its majestic splendor, the celebrations in Bhubaneswar are equally known for their spirit and devotion. Swaying to the beats of cymbals amidst the chanting of hymns, the Rath Yatra in the capital city was conducted in various parts of Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
A unique aspect of the chariots in Bhubaneswar is that some are made from assembled parts of old chariots, repainted, and prepared for the big day. This contrasts with Puri, where traditional carpenters build new chariots each year.
To ensure smooth festivities, the city administration arranged elaborate traffic and security measures.
In Chandrasekharpur, the Rath Yatra was celebrated with great fervour. The procession began at 4 pm, with devotees enthusiastically pulling the ropes of the chariots, leading them to the Mausi Maa Temple. The atmosphere around Shailashree Vihar’s Jagannath Temple to Maa Mangala Temple was bustling with crowds gathered to witness the spectacular event. The devotees' dance in front of the chariots captivated everyone, and children particularly enjoyed pulling the chariots from one point to another, even amidst the rain.
Similarly, the soft tunes of devotional songs filled the air when the chariot began to roll out from the Jagannath Temple of Regional College of Management (RCM). The chariot of the holy trinity proceeded to the Gundicha temple, constructed by the administration of RCM Jagannath Temple on the campus of Kali temple near Press Chowk.
Th ocasion was also celebareted by the Sri Sri Bhubaneswari Temple Management Committee in VSS Nagar. The ‘chhera panhara’ (sweeping of chariot floor) ritual was conducted by Dr. Jayanti Parida, president of the committee. The chariot was pulled from Bhubaneswari Temple of DL Colony and reached the ‘Adapa Mandap.’
Celebrations at Jagannath temples in the city began early in the morning with ‘Mangal Aarti,’ and the festivities at the ISKCON temple drew huge crowd. While the ceremonial ‘pahandi’ began at 10:30 am, the pulling of chariots started at 3 pm. A Gurupuja was also organised in the morning to pay respects to ISKCON founder Guru Srila Prabhupada. The deities reached Gundicha temple near DAV School-Unit 8 at 6:15 pm.
The Rath Yatra festival at Unit-5 and Unit-8 attracted hundreds of devotees participating with great enthusiasm. The rituals at the Unit-5 Jagannath Temple were completed with traditional rites and customs.
On Saturday night at 7:30 pm, the rituals began with Mangala Arati, followed by Anasara Ghar Chaka Apsara at 3:30 am. Rituals like Tati Fita, Mailama, Tadapa Lagi, Rosaghara Homa, and Abakasha Niti.
On Sunday morning at 5:30 am, Surya Puja was conducted, followed by Dwarapal Puja at 6 am. By 11 am, the Agyanmala Bije was conducted. The entire event was marked by a profound spiritual atmosphere and devoted participation.
In the evening, chariot was pulled to the Gundicha Temple located in the premises of the Radha Krishna Temple in Unit-6.
In Unit-8, the festivities started early at 6:30 am with Mahaprabhu's Nabajouban Besha. At 8:30 am, the Netra Utsav was conducted. At 1:30 pm, the deities were ceremoniously placed on the chariot, and the Chhera Pahara ritual took place at 3 pm. The chariot pulling began at 4 pm.
By 6 pm, the chariot reached the Maa Jhadeswari Temple near Basic Science College, completing the day’s journey amidst great enthusiasm and devotion.
As in previous years, children conducted the ‘pahandi’ and pulled the three chariots during the fete organised at Jameswarpatna near Lingaraj temple by the Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra Committee. These children belong to the families of Lingaraj temple sevayats.
The fete was also celebrated in other areas, including Vani Vihar, Tamando, Jagamara, Siripur, Patia, Gadakana, Shriveni Khetra, Utkal University Votopada village, railway colony, CRPF, Rental Colony, and Naharakanta. Adequate police personnel were deployed, and traffic diversions were planned to manage the crowds effectively. The chariots, splendidly adorned, were pulled by devotees with ropes amidst chants and hymns filling the air.
“For me, participating in Rath Yatra is a moment of spiritual awakening. The energy, devotion, and sheer joy of being part of this divine journey are indescribable. It’s a tradition that binds us all together,” said Raghunath Mohanty, who performs the ritual of sweeping on the chariot at Jagannath temple in Jagamara.
“The energy, devotion, and sheer joy of being part of this divine journey are indescribable. It’s a tradition that binds us all together,” said Sumati Sahu, a 58-year-old devotee, who had pulled the chariot at Shrivani Shrikhetra.
