Sibling deities return to Puri Jagannath Temple with Niladri Bije

Time of India

6 days ago

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Bhubaneswar: The sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra — made their way back to the sanctum sanctorum of Puri Jagannath Temple during Niladri Bije on Tuesday, concluding the Rath Yatra festival that commenced on June 27.
Following the prescribed tradition, temple's Mahajan servitors escorted the idols of Rama and Krishna from the Taladhwaja chariot and Madan Mohan from Nandighosh chariot into the shrine through a ceremonial Pahandi procession. Subsequently, Lord Jagannath's sacred weapon Lord Sudarshan was carried from the Devidalana chariot to the temple.
As per order, the Pahandi procession continued as Lord Balabhadra followed by Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath were escorted into the shrine from their respective chariots accompanied by musical celebrations and chants by devotees.
In a ceremonial display of the age-old tradition, Devi Mahalaxmi prevented Lord Jagannath's entry at the Jaya Vijaya door near the sanctum sanctorum. Her anger stemmed from being left behind at the temple during the sibling deities' journey to Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra.
"When Lord Jagannath found himself stranded and unable to enter, he sought forgiveness and presented rasagolas to his divine consort. Upon receiving the gesture, Devi Mahalaxmi relented and permitted his entry into the temple," said Madhab Pujapanda, a servitor.
Sandhyanjali Tripathy, a devotee, observed, "The ritual demonstrates the ideal dynamics between spouses. In contemporary times, marital disagreements often lead to unfortunate outcomes. The divine couple's reconciliation serves as an example of mutual respect and understanding."
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said that from Rath Yatra till Niladri Bije, all rituals were performed smoothly.