Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, July 17:

The world famous annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra along with Lord Sudarshan will come to an end today with the return of the deities to their abode in the Garbha Griha or the sanctum sanctorum of Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Pilgrim City of Puri, 12 days after they had set out on a journey to Sri Gundicha temple.

chariots

Lakhs of devotees are expected to witness the Niladri Bije— an event that marks the end of the 12-day Rath Yatra— where hordes of servitors would carry the deities in a rhythmic swaying called pahandi ritual in the evening.

The Daitapati servitors would take the deities presently installed on the chariots to the permanent platform inside the main temple tonight.

The Niladri servitors would perform goti pahandi of the deities, who on their way would stop at the main store house (Bhandara Ghara) of the temple where Lord Jagannath, before entering into the sanctum sanctorum, would offer rasagola bhog to Goddess Laxmi to appease her.

Notably, the four doors of the temple, including the main entrance door called Simha Dwara, have been replaced with new ones. The process of replacement had started since February this year and now they have been replaced with the new ones.

As per historians, the doors are as old as 462 years which indicates that the doors are four centuries old and have been changed after such long duration.

Last evening, the servitors performed ‘Adharpana’ ritual on the chariots.

Nine large barrel shaped pitchers filled with the scented sweet drink, prepared from a mixture of nabata, milk cream (sara), banana, cheese, black peeper power, karpura and jaiphala, were placed before the three deities and offered to them by the priests through ‘Pancha Upachar Pooja’.