Preparations are in the final stage for the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. The Gundicha Temple is being decorated with traditional artwork to welcome Lord Jagannath and his siblings for their seven-day stay during the chariot festival.
Final Preparations for Rath Yatra
Preparations are underway in full swing at the Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, with the shrine being decorated to welcome Lord Jagannath and his siblings, who will stay there for seven days during the chariot festival beginning on July 16.
The Gundicha Temple, regarded as the birthplace of Lord Jagannath, becomes the temporary abode of the deities after they travel from the Shree Jagannath Temple during the grand Rath Yatra, one of India’s largest religious festivals. Temple authorities and the Odisha government have intensified preparations as thousands of devotees are expected to arrive in Puri for the annual celebration. Arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth conduct of rituals, crowd management and other aspects related to the festival.
“The preparations for this year’s Chariot Festival are in full swing, and they are at the very final stage. Both at the Sri Mandir and at the other end of the Gundicha Temple, all the preparations are almost done. You can see the traditional Jhoti Chita, the traditional artwork of Odisha, being done at both ends of the temples. Inside the temple also, all the developmental works are almost over,” Padhee said. The traditional Jhoti Chita artwork, an integral part of Odisha’s cultural heritage, is being created at the temple premises as part of the preparations for the festival.
Collective Efforts and Divine Blessings
Meanwhile, Jagannath Temple servitor and Daitapati, Bhabani Das Mohapatra, said all stakeholders, including the temple administration, the Odisha government and residents of Puri, are working together to ensure the successful organisation of the Rath Yatra.
“The temple administration, the Odisha Government, and the people of Puri–everyone is united in prayer. Lord Jagannath Himself guides and blesses the successful conduct of the Rath Yatra. Mahaprabhu Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe… only He can ensure that the Rath Yatra is conducted smoothly and without any obstacles,” Mohapatra told ANI. He added that preparations are progressing with enthusiasm and expressed confidence that this year’s Rath Yatra would be historic and memorable due to the collective efforts of devotees, servitors, authorities and people of Puri.
“While everyone involved will continue to make every effort, all preparations at the Shree Jagannath Temple are progressing with great enthusiasm for this grand and divine festival. This year’s Rath Yatra will be historic because it reflects the collective efforts of devotees, servitors, the temple administration, the Odisha Government and the people of Puri. When everyone works together with devotion and determination, the festival becomes truly grand and memorable,” he said.
Hereditary Service and Devotion
Another Daitapati servitor, Hara Prasad Das Mohapatra, who works at an IT company in Bengaluru, said he returns to Puri every year to perform his hereditary ritual duties during the Rath Yatra period.
“Service begins with Snana Purnima and continues until Niladri Bije. No matter where we live or work–whether in Odisha, elsewhere in India or abroad–we must return to Puri during this period to perform our duty,” he told ANI. He said servitors maintain strict religious discipline throughout the period of seva.
“During this time, we observe strict religious discipline. We eat only Havishya food (sattvik diet) and refrain from eating or drinking anything outside. We may work elsewhere for eleven months of the year, but during Rath Yatra, we must return to serve Lord Jagannath,” he added.
The Grand Chariot Festival
During the festival, Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are taken out of the Shree Jagannath Temple and pulled by devotees in three massive wooden chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.
The annual Rath Yatra attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad, with extensive arrangements made by authorities for the smooth conduct of the festival. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)