Bhubaneswar: Amid a massive crowd and waves of devotion, the chariots of Mahaprabhu Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were pulled on Thursday, but all three came to a halt midway on the Bada Danda.
The pulling of the chariots was delayed through the day. The Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra was pulled first, following the Chhera Pahara ceremonial sweeping of the chariots with a golden broom by Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb. Thousands of devotees joined together to pull the magnificent chariot along the Grand Road in processions.
However, the chariots could not complete the journey to Gundicha Temple today. Balabhadra’s Tala Dhwaja stopped at Market Square while Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan halted at Marichikot Square.
Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh moved only a few metres from Singha Dwar before stopping.
Temple officials said the pulling of chariots will resume tomorrow after 9.00 AM following morning rituals atop the chariots.
Despite torrential rain, the pilgrim town witnessed a sea of devotees and the downpour failed to dampen the spirit of faith. The atmosphere echoed with chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Hari Bol’ as devotees danced in ecstasy despite the incessant rain.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, and several state ministers also joined the sacred festival and pulled the chariots along with devotees.
The nine-day sojourn of the holy trinity to Gundicha Temple will continue Friday with the resumption of the chariot pulling.
