Odisha: Lord Jagannath’s Bahuda Jatra breaks 50-yr record

Puri: Amidst ‘Hari Bol’ chants reverberated the cloudy sky today, the Lords on three chariots reached their abode Sri Mandir breaking 50-year record in history of Bahuda Jatra.

Lord Jagannath along with his siblings on chariots made his way back to Sri Mandir following completion of rituals. The chariots rolled on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) with chants by a sea of devotees echoing the sky towards Sri Mandir.

For the first time, the Taladhwaja chariot arrived at Singhadwar before the scheduled time, said Jagannath cult researcher Surjya Narayan Rathasharma.

The early arrival of chariots set a new record breaking its 50-year record in Ratha Jatra festival of Lord Jagannath, he added.

While Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra reached the Singhadwar at around 3.30 pm, Devi Subhadra on Darpadalan chariot reached just few minutes after elder brother Lord Balabhadra at 3.50 pm. Later, Lord Jagannath on Nandighosha chariot reached the place amidst crowd at 5.35 pm.

As per the schedule fixed by the temple administration, the pulling of chariots was scheduled at 4.00 pm from Gundicha temple towards Sri Mandir.

After completion of rituals inside the Gundicha temple in the morning, the lords were taken in pahandi to the chariots and the chhera panhara by the Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb was performed at 1.30 pm.

Just few minutes after chhera panhara, the three chariots started divine journey to return to Sri Mandir after staying at Gundicha temple during nine-day Ratha Jatra festival.

The stricture by the Supreme Court of India restricting the servitors to receive ‘dakshina’ from the devotees is belived to be the prime reason behind smooth conduct of rituals during Ratha Jatra and early arrival of chariots at Singhadwar on Bahuda Jatra.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had expressed discontentment over the mismanagement of temple administration in conducting the rituals in the centuries old shrine.

The apex court had asked the district judge to submit report on temple reforms.

Among the suggestions in the report, the SC imposed the stricture asking the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to prohibit the servitors from receiving donations from the devotees.

Following the stricture, the temple administration installed donation boxes on three chariots to receive offerings from devotees during Ratha Jatra festival.