In Pics: Hera Panchami ritual held in Odisha’s Puri

Puri: The Hera Panchami ritual associated with the Ratha Jatra was observed here today on the fifth day after the arrival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra at the Gundicha Temple.

The servitors carried the idol of Goddess Lakshmi from the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple in a palanquin. A symbolic scene was then created, where the goddess displayed her anger before Lord Jagannath and requested him to return to the Srimandir.

The servitors of Lord Jagannath offered ‘Agnyamala’ (consent garland) to the sevayats of Goddess Lakshmi indicating the notional consent of Lord Jagannath to return after three days.

As the lord did not accompany, Goddess Lakshmi felt let down and on her instruction, one of her sevayats broke a small portion of Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosa chariot notionally as a symbolic expression of her anger.

After the completion of these rituals, the goddess was carried back to the Srimandir.