Puri: Bhoi servitors on Tuesday retrieved five boats from the holy Narendra Pond to keep them ready for the 42-day-long Chandan Festival which will commence from Akshaya Tritiya.
Going by the temple tradition, five boats such as Nanda, Bhadra (4) and Baijajantri (1) were recovered from the holy Narendra Pond by Bhoi servitors to mark Chaitra Purnima. All five boats are broken and immersed in the Narendra Pond by the boat attendants after the completion of the Chandan festival. Immersing boats inside the pond is an annual ritual which marks the beginning of Chandan Yatra preparation.
Chandan Yatra is also known as Sandalwood Voyage. In this festival Jagannath and five Pancha Pandava are taken out in a procession from the Singhadwara of the Jagannath temple to the Narendra Tirtha pond for bathing. The ceremony is divided into two parts: one is Bahara Chandana Yatra which starts from Akshaya Tritiya and continues for 21 days and another is Bhitara Chandana Yatra that continues for another 21 days.
During this festival, the idols of Madanmohan (representative image of Lord Jagannath), Bhudevi, Sridevi, Ramakrushna and Panchu Pandavas take part in the Chapa Khela or water sports. While the idols are taken in a procession from the Singhadwara to Narendra Pokhari in one palanquin, the Panchu Pandavas come in their respective palanquins. After various rituals, the deities are placed on grandly decorated boats for an evening cruise of the tank.
These boats will be repaired and ready Chandan Yatra. As a result, the Bhoi servitors lifted all five boats from Narendra Pond to begin preparing for the annual ritual.
