The holy town of Puri in Odisha was engulfed in spiritual fervour as thousands of worshippers flocked to the temple of Lord Jagannath to see the world-famous Rath Yatra of the creator of the universe and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
On Tuesday at noon, the major ritual of dragging the three magnificent and colourfully decked chariots along the grand avenue in front of the “Shree Mandir” is planned to begin.
Before the Holy Trinity – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra – set out from the sanctum sanctorum of the 12th century shrine, a number of special rituals like Mangla Arati, Mailam, Tadapa lagi, Rosahoma, Abakasha, Surjya Puja, Dwarapala Puja, Besha Sesha, Gopala Balhava, Sakala Dhupa (Khecudi Bhoga), Ratha Pratishta and Mangalarpana, etc. are being performed.
The three gods were removed from the temple one by one, down the 22 stairs known as “Baisi Pahacha,” via the Lions Gate, in an elaborate royal ceremony known as “Pahandi,” from their jewelled thrones, or “Ratna Sinhasana.” The deities travelled to the outer world step by step, moving rhythmically as they were accompanied by the priests and devotees’ adoring chants and the rhythmic banging of cymbals, “ghantas,” “kahalis,” and conch shells.
On the auspicious occasion of the Rath Yatra, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other notable figures welcomed the country and particularly the followers of Lord Jatannath in Odisha.
“On the occasion of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath’s Rath Yatra, I express my sincere greetings and best wishes to all of my countrymen, particularly the followers of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath. President Murmu tweeted, “I am praying to Lord Shri Jagannath that this wonderful festival of devotion provides pleasure, peace, and prosperity in everyone’s life.
“Greetings for the Rath Yatra to everyone. The PM tweeted, “May the glorious voyage of Lord Jagannath infuse our lives with health, pleasure, and spiritual enlightenment as we commemorate this holy event.
In the meanwhile, the coast of Puri has been placed under a thick layer of air and sea protection to prevent any potential subversive activities in the pilgrim town, according to Coast Guard authorities.
A Dornier aircraft is used to keep air surveillance over the pilgrim town. To stop any potential subversive maritime route plots, two coast guard ships have been sent out on 24-hour patrol. For shallow water surveillance, the coast guard is working in tandem with the marine division of the Odisha police, according to CG sources.
There have been many layers of security procedures established to ensure the event runs well. According to top police authorities, CCTVs have been deployed as a security precaution at a number of key places.
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