Rath Yatra LIVE | Puri chariot-pulling resumes; 1 dead during Sunday festivities
Festival being celebrated over two days as major rituals of deities preceding Rath Yatra coincide with the day of the event
Lakhs of people pulled forward giant chariots from the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri towards Gundicha temple, around 2.5 km away, as Rath Yatra festivities began in Odisha on Sunday (July 7). The festivities continued on Monday after a break on Sunday evening in a departure from the tradition usually followed.
The “yatra” started around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati visited the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and the Puri’s titular king completed the Chhera Pahanra (chariot sweeping) ritual.
President Droupadi Murmu performed a “parikrama” of the three chariots and bowed before the deities.
The president, Governor Raghubar Das, the CM and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the “yatra” by pulling the ropes of Nandighosh — the chariot of Lord Jagannath. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also had a “darshan” of the sibling deities.
The celebrations were somewhat marred by the death of a devotee and eight people falling ill due to suffocation while pulling the chariots on Sunday evening.
“With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all the rituals have been completed on time on Sunday. A large number of devotees have reached the town to witness the festival and the weather condition has also remained favourable,” said Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja.
The sibling deities ascended their respective chariots after the completion of the three-hour-long “Pahandi” ritual at 2.15 pm.
Amid chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ by servitors and lakhs of devotees gathered on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) and the sound of gongs, conches and cymbals, Lord Sudarshan was first escorted to ‘Darpadalan’, the chariot of Devi Subhadra.
Following Lord Sudharshan, Lord Balabhadra was taken to his Taladhwaja chariot. Goddess Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, was brought to her Darpadalan chariot in the special procession by servitors.
Lord Jagannath was the last to be carried to his chariot ‘Nandighosa’ in the Pahandi Bije ritual.
Descending from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the bejewelled throne, the three deities were taken out of the temple down the 22 steps known as 'Baisi Pahacha' through the Lion's Gate in the elaborate royal ritual called 'Pahandi'.
A number of customary rituals like 'Mangla Arati' and 'Mailam' were held before the presiding deities set out from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The three majestic chariots started from the Singha Dwar of the temple, facing east towards the Gundicha temple.
Lord Balabhadra leads the chariot procession riding ‘Taladhwaja’. It is followed by Devi Subhadra in Darpadalana. Lord Jagannath goes riding Nandighosa at the end.
Lakhs of devotees have thronged the pilgrim town of Puri to witness the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on Sunday. Special arrangements were made as President Droupadi Murmu also witnessed the Rath Yatra, which will be a two-day affair after 53 years.
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- 7 July 2024 5:38 PM IST
Chariot pulling begins in Puri
Thousands of people pulled forward giant chariots from the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri towards Gundicha temple, around 2.5 km away, on Sunday afternoon.
The chariot pulling started around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati visited the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and the Puri’s titular king completed the Chhera Pahanra (chariot sweeping) ritual.
The wooden horses were fitted to the chariots and the servitor pilots guided the devotees to pull the chariots in the right direction.
President Droupadi Murmu performed a “parikrama” of the three chariots and bowed down before the deities.
The President, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the mammoth exercise by pulling the ropes connecting the principal Jagannath chariot. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also had a “darshan” of the sibling deities.
Thousands of people pulled the nearly 45-feet tall wooden chariot of Lord Balabhadra. It will be followed by pulling of chariots of Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
Rhythmically beating brass cymbals and hand drums, priests surrounded the gods on the canopied chariots as the procession made its slow way through the main street of the temple town.
The air rented with “Jai Jagannath” and “Haribol” as frenzied devotees tried to get a glimpse of the holy procession.
Different groups performed “kirtans” (religious songs) and Odissi dance in front of the chariots before the procession started.
Around a million devotees are estimated to have converged on this town for the annual car festival. While most of the devotees were from Odisha and the neighbouring states, many from abroad also joined in what is considered one of the largest religious processions globally.
- 7 July 2024 4:47 PM IST
Rath Yatra in Raipur
Chhattisgarh’s capital city Raipur on Sunday witnessed the grand celebration of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, marked by traditional fervour and chariot procession.
The raths (chariots) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and their sister Subhadra were pulled by devotees in Raipur’s Gayatri Nagar area, similar to the tradition followed in Odisha.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai joined the Yatra at the temple in Gayatri Nagar. The event commenced with the ceremonial Cherapahara ritual, where the deity’s idol was brought to the chariot, and the path was swept with a golden broom by the chief minister himself.
Following this, Sai carried the idol of Lord Jagannath to the chariot.
The ceremony featured customary rituals and special prayers to Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
It is believed that Lord Jagannath’s original abode was Shivrinarayan in Chhattisgarh, from where He later moved to Jagannath Puri. Shivrinarayan also holds historical significance as the place where Lord Shri Ram tasted the sweet berries offered by Mata Shabari during the Treta Yuga. The temple of Nar-Narayan now stands at this location.
- 7 July 2024 4:22 PM IST
Mamata pulls chariot at ISKCON Rath Yatra
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday pulled ropes of the chariot at ISKCON Rath Yatra in Kolkata after paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath.
Braving rains, thousands of devotees gathered to participate in the festival and they danced and chanted “Jai Jagannath” along with the monks of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
“Jai Jagannath to all of you throughout the world, all my ISKCON brothers and sisters and devotees on this auspicious day,” she said.
Banerjee performed arati with candles and offered prayers to the deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on the chariot in front of the ISKCON temple, before pulling the ropes of the chariot at the start of the Rath Yatra along with the devotees and monks.
“We live together with all religions. Jagannath Dev is very sacred to all of us,” said Mamata, who attends the ISKCON Rath Yatra every year.
The chief minister said a large number of people from the state participated in the Rath Yatra festival in Odisha’s Puri, as well as in Hooghly district’s Mahesh, the oldest Rath Yatra in West Bengal, and Kolkata and other places.
Stating that a temple, which is a replica of Puri’s Jagannath temple, in the seaside tourist town Digha is almost complete, Banerjee said that it will be inaugurated after the Durga Puja.
“Rath Yatra will be held at Digha from next year,” she said, addressing the devotees.
Dance performances by women were also held in front of the ISKCON Rath Yatra chariot in south Kolkata before it was pulled by the monks and the devotees through different streets of the metropolis.
The chariot will be stationed at Maidan in the heart of the city for devotees to have darshan till the return of the chariot after eight days.
- 7 July 2024 3:56 PM IST
Chherapahanra rituals underway
Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb arrives to perform Chherapahanra of the chariots. Rituals currently underway.
