Bhubaneswar: With the grand Rath Yatra festival in Puri now halfway through, the Jagannath temple authorities have begun preparations for the Bahuda Yatra — the sacred homecoming procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
As part of the age-old rituals, the three majestic chariots — Nandighosa, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana — will take the ‘Dakhina Moda’ today, marking the official start of the return journey arrangements. The chariots are currently stationed facing north in front of the Gundicha Temple.
The process will begin only after the sacred ‘Agyaan Mala’ (garland of divine consent) is brought from the Gundicha Temple. Once received, the chariots will be turned in the traditional sequence: first Devi Subhadra’s chariot, followed by Lord Balabhadra’s, and finally Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosa.
Since their arrival in Gundicha Temple, the sibling deities have been giving darshan to devotees at Adapa Mandapa. After the Dakhina Moda ritual, a special rahas ceremony will be conducted on Adapa Mandapa.
Meanwhile, Hera Panchami ritual was conducted on the fifth day of the annual chariot festival in the Pilgrim Town on Monday. During this ritual, Goddess Mahalakhmi, upset at being left behind at the Srimandir, made her way to the Gundicha Temple. There, she symbolically expressed her displeasure by damaging a portion of Lord Jagannath’s chariot before returning to the 12th-century Jagannath Temple.
Thousands of devotees gathered at both Gundicha Temple and Saradhabali to witness this sacred and emotionally charged episode, considered one of the most endearing moments of the entire Rath Yatra festival.
