Odisha Plus Bureau
Vizag’s famous Jagannath Temple organised the Bahuda Jatra with much fanfare and spiritual fervour.
On the occasion, special religious rituals were performed before the four deities at their Aunt’s house in Lawsons Bay Colony during the day. Around 4.30 pm, the Gods and Goddess were taken in a procession to the colourfully decorated chariot stationed in front of the temple. The King of erstwhile princely state of Daspalla, Lal Saheb Pramod Deo Bhanja, performed the traditional sweeping of the chariot in what is known as the Chherra Pahanra ritual.
Around 5 pm, the long awaited return journey of the Lord of the Universe commenced. The juggernaut rolled off amid raising of slogans like ‘Hari Bol’ and ‘Jai Jagannath’, playing of traditional musical instruments like Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja, Mrudunga and singing of soulful Kirtans and Bhajans by a 3000-strong congregation of devotees.
Scores of women devotees were seen pulling the chariot with enthusiasm and excitement. The highlight of the mega event was a presentation of spirited beating of drums by the Dulduli Troupe from Kesinga in Kalahandi district of Odisha. The entire atmosphere was charged with the rhythm of the drum beats, leaving the audience moved and mesmerised.
Travelling along Shanti Ashram, UDA Park, AU Gate, UDA Children’s Arena and All India Radio, the chariot reached its final destination at the Main Temple on Daspalla Hills at around 8 pm. An angry Goddess Laxmi blocked the entry of Lord Jagannath into the temple because she was not invited to accompany the siblings during their visit to the Aunt’s house in Rath Jatra. In order to resolve the stalemate, Lord Jagannath was quick to offer delicious Rasagolla to the Goddess to cajole her. She was then pacified and granted permission to the deities to get in. This episode was theatrically enacted inside the temple premises on the occasion.
The idols were then taken inside the temple by the servitors and devotees in Dhadi Pahandi ritual and placed in the sanctum sanctorum. The entire Bahuda Jatra arrangements were well managed and neatly executed by the President of Utkal Sanskritika Samaja and Vice President of Orissa Stevedores, Jitendra Kumar Nayak, and General Secretary of Sanskrutika Samaj, Bimal Kumar Mahanta. Both the onward and return journey festivals of the Lord in Vizag received unprecedented public attention and became the talk of the town on account of the painstaking efforts put in by Shri Nayak and Shri Mahanta.
Tags: #VizagRathYatra #DhadiPahandi #UtkalSanskritikaSamaja #DaspallaHills #Kalahandidistrict #DulduliTroupe #RathYatrahistory
