10 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Rath Yatra celebrated with fervour in Cuttack
CUTTACK: Cuttack soaked in festive fervour as devotees thronged Jagannath temples across the city to take part in Rath Yatra celebrations.
As usual, the Jagannath temples at Chandni Chowk and Dolamundai were the major attractions and witnessed a massive turnout. At Chandni Chowk, the Rath Yatra, first celebrated in 1996 and held in a grander fashion since the temple's permanent structure was completed in 2001, began early in the morning.
The temple opened its doors at 5 am, followed by rituals including Mangal Alati, Mailam Lagi, and Surya Puja. The Pahandi Bije procession commenced around 9:30 am, and the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra was performed at noon. By 2 pm, the chariots had begun their journey to the temporary Gundicha temple near Bellevue Square.
Similarly, at Dolamundai, the Patitapaban temple opened at 4 am. Following the morning rituals, the Pahandi Bije was completed by 3 pm. The pulling of the chariots started at 4 pm with hundreds of devotees lined up for the divine procession.
According to tradition, the chariots made a stop at Seminary Chhak, where members of the Muslim community from the Mahala Committee and Chand Club offered bhoga to the deities. The chariots were then pulled back to Chandan Padia near Dolamundai, where the Gundicha temple is located. The chariots of Devi Subhadra were exclusively pulled by women at both Chandni Chowk and Dolamundai.
Another major crowd-puller was the Rath Yatra of the Baladevjew temple at Ranihat, celebrated for the ninth time since its inception in 2015. Here, the three deities were placed on a single chariot. The Chhera Pahanra ritual was performed by collector Dattatreya Bhausaheb Shinde at around 5 pm, after which the chariot made its way through Ranihat and College Square before returning to the Gundicha temple at Ranihat Durga Mandap.
The Commissionerate Police made elaborate security arrangements and traffic regulations to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the festival across the city.
