Sibling deities return amid sea of devotees
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Bhubaneswar: A wave of spiritualism swept Puri as the divine siblings Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra received a ceremonial send-off by lakhs of devotees on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra on Saturday, marking the deities' return journey to Jagannath Temple from their birthplace at Gundicha Temple.
The deities, who had embarked on their annual journey to Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra on June 27, will be escorted from their chariots to Jagannath temple during Niladri Bije on July 8.
The successful completion of Bahuda came as a huge relief to the govt, particularly after the June 29 stampede in which three devotees lost their lives. "By god's grace and support of everyone, the Bahuda Yatra passed off peacefully and smoothly," said DGP Y B Khurania.
According to sources in Puri district headquarters hospital, some devotees received first-aid after they were fell sick due to suffocation in the teeming crowds. Another devotee, Lambodar Prusty (53), was admitted to the hospital with leg injuries that he sustained during pulling of Lord Jagannath's chariot.
The Bahuda Yatra focused on implementing lessons learnt from mistakes during Rath Yatra through enhanced crowd management and timely completion of rituals, including 'Pahandi' and chariot pulling.
The chariot pulling commenced at 2.50 pm, much ahead of the scheduled 4 pm. The chariots reached near Jagannath Temple in the evening, compared to their two-day Gundicha-bound journey during Rath Yatra.
Police prioritised crowd control and chariot pulling procedures, following criticism over difficulties in pulling Lord Jagannath's chariot during Rath Yatra due to crowd management issues.
Bahuda celebration mirrored Rath Yatra's vibrance and grandeur, with Puri experiencing massive crowds.
Devotees pulled the chariots along the 3-km Grand Road to the tunes of cymbals, gongs, and flutes filling the air. The overcast conditions and light rainfall favoured the large gathering of devotees."
"It was an emotional moment while bidding adieu to the deities until next year. We had a smooth darshan on chariots," said Anamika Biswas, a devotee from West Bengal.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the arrangements that resulted in smooth conduct of Bahuda Yatra. "For the peaceful and orderly darshan, a green corridor was arranged for smooth movement of ambulances on Grand Road. Keeping safety in mind, over 25,000 security personnel have been deployed. Adequate traffic police have been stationed to manage traffic. To make the union between devotees and the Lord memorable and unique, the government made all necessary arrangements.
The people's chief minister himself was overseeing it," read a post on X by the chief minister's office.
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