Puri: The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra reached Saradha Bali in front of the Gundicha Temple on Friday as the annual Rath Yatra resumed on its second day after an overnight halt.
The chariot-pulling recommenced in the morning with thousands of police personnel and lakhs of devotees joining hands to draw the three massive wooden chariots along the Grand Road (Bada Danda). Devotional chants of “Jay Jagannath” echoed across the pilgrim town as the procession completed the remaining stretch to the Gundicha Temple, located about 2.6 kilometres from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple.
The yatra had remained incomplete on Thursday after delays in the ceremonial ‘Pahandi’ procession affected the schedule of the festival. As a result, none of the three chariots could reach their destination before sunset, prompting the authorities to suspend the procession for the day. The deities remained seated on their respective chariots throughout the night.
By the end of the first day’s procession, Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot had reached Market Chhak after covering nearly 700 metres, while Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot had halted at Marichikote Chhak after travelling around 400 metres. Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot had moved only a short distance from the Singhadwar (Lion’s Gate) of the Shree Jagannath Temple before the procession was called off.
With the resumption of the yatra on Friday morning, the remaining distance was covered without interruption, and all three chariots were positioned at Saradha Bali in front of the Gundicha Temple.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said the sibling deities would spend Friday night on their chariots. The ceremonial entry procession into the Gundicha Temple, popularly known as the Adapa Mandap Bije ritual, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 18. The deities will remain at the Gundicha Temple for several days before returning to the Shree Jagannath Temple during the Bahuda Yatra.
