Rath Yatra: ''Pahandi'' ritual performed at Puri's Jagannath temple

Puri, Jul 16 (PTI) Braving relentless rainfall, lakhs of devotees on Thursday witnessed the 'Pahandi' ritual, in which idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings are taken to chariots from the 12th-century Puri temple, marking the beginning of the nine-day annual Rath Yatra in Odisha. Amid the beating of gongs and the blowing of conches and cymbals, Chakraraj Sudarshan was first taken out from the main temple and seated at the 'Darpadalan' chariot of Devi Subhadra. Shree Sudarshan is the wheel weapon of Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped in the form of Lord Jagannath in Puri, said Pandit Suryanaray Rathsharma. The idol of Lord Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannath, was also in the ceremonial procession to his “Taladwaja” chariot. In a special procession called 'Sunya Pahandi' (the Goddess looking at the sky while being carried to the chariot) by servitors, the idol of Goddess Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, was brought to her chariot. When finally the idol of Lord Jagannath was taken out of the temple, emotions spilt over the Grand Road as devotees raised their hands and started chanting the 'Jai Jagannath' slogan. Odissi dancers, folk artistes and cultural troupes performed before the 'Kalia Thakura'. In the 'Pahandi' ritual, the idols of the sibling deities are brought in ceremonial processions to their respective chariots, parked in front of the Lion's Gate of the temple, for a journey to Shree Gundicha Temple, considered the birthplace of the deities, about 2.6 kilometres from the 12th-century shrine here. According to the temple administration, the processions of the deities started at 9 am. Special arrangements have been made to drain out rainwater from the Grand Road and facilitate a smooth procession, as devotees will pull the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra along the thoroughfare from the shrine to the Shree Gundicha Temple. Devotees will begin pulling the chariots at 4 pm after the traditional chariot sweeping by Puri's titular king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati's visit, a temple official said. Rath Yatra, held on the second day of the Odia month of 'Ashadha Shukla Tithi' (bright fortnight) every year, is the only occasion when the sibling deities are taken out from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the bejewelled throne, of the temple. Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirits of devotees, who were seen dancing on the Grand Road and celebrating the chariot festival. According to an India Meteorological Department official, Puri received 233 mm rainfall in the past 48 hours, and the seaside pilgrim town is likely to receive light to moderate rainfall during the day. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed preparedness and emphasised the safety and convenience of devotees. As water-logging emerged as a major challenge, he directed the Puri district administration, the municipal authorities, and relevant departments to remain on high alert and ensure swift action to remove water. Odisha DGP Y B Khurania said that a multi-layer security arrangement was made in Puri, with 19 IPS officers and nearly 13,000 police personnel deployed for the festival. Additionally, 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces - including the CRPF, BSF, RAF, and National Security - have been stationed at strategic points to fortify security. A total of 473 AI-powered CCTV cameras, integrated with drone-jamming systems, are monitoring the Grand Road and adjoining areas through two command-and-control centres, officials said. A joint patrolling system involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Odisha Police Maritime Station has also been set up, and quick response teams are deployed. Over 500 lifeguards and fire service personnel have been stationed along the beachfront to ensure visitor safety and prevent any possible incidents of drowning, the officials added. PTI AAM BDC AAM BDC