Enthusiasm is palpable in Odisha’s Puri, which is all decked up as the Jagannath Yatra starts on Friday. Thousands are in the Odisha district to witness the festivities at the 12 century iconic shrine of Lord Jagannath, hugely revered by the devotees.
The annual Rath Yatra of the holy trinity - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - is taking place with full public participation after a hiatus of two years due to the pandemic. It will culminate next week on July 9. Tight security has been put in place for the mega event.
The temple town turns into a sea of humanity amid vibrant celebrations as chariots roll and devotees take part by singing hymns. “We expect a large gathering of about 10 lakh on Ratha Yatra as people are allowed to participate in the festival after a gap of two years,” development commissioner, P K Jena, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The Rath Yatra or the 'Chariot Festival' is believed to be as old as the iconic shrine. It’s also said to be a rare festival as deities are taken out of the temple premises. Also the idols are carved out of wood, and not metal. The deities set out for the Yatra along with the celestial wheel - Sudarshana Chakra, which is also removed from the temple during the ceremonial procession.
{{/usCountry}}The Rath Yatra or the 'Chariot Festival' is believed to be as old as the iconic shrine. It’s also said to be a rare festival as deities are taken out of the temple premises. Also the idols are carved out of wood, and not metal. The deities set out for the Yatra along with the celestial wheel - Sudarshana Chakra, which is also removed from the temple during the ceremonial procession.
{{/usCountry}}On their way back to the temple after more than a week, the deities stop for a while near the Mausi Maa Temple (Aunt's abode). Here, they have an offering of the Poda Pitha, said to be a special type of pancake. “Though many think it’s a nine day festival – the onward journey of the Holy Trinity to their maternal aunt Goddess Gundicha Devi’s Temple and culminates with the Return Journey after eight days. In reality the festival stretches from the day of AkhayaTrutiya (in April) and culminates with the Return Journey of the Holy Trinity to the Shree Mandir premises,” reads the website of Odisha tourism.
“Our trained personnel will be ready both in the Grand Road and also in the sea beach to intervene in any possible untoward incident,” deputy general of police, fire service, Santosh Kumar Upadhyay said, PTI reported. Over 180 platoons of armed police personnel, including 1,000 officers of various ranks are deployed in and around Puri with dozens of CCTV cameras in place.
The Indian Coast Guard has also been deployed to maintain a vigil.
(With inputs from PTI)