Bhubaneswar: The annual preparations for the sacred Chandan Yatra of Lord Jagannath have begun with the retrieval of five ceremonial boats from Narendra Pond on the occasion of Chaitra Purnima on Thursday.
Five boats, including Nanda, Bhadra, and Baijayantri, were pulled out of the Narendra pond by the dedicated Bhoi servitors. These boats will be used for the divine water sports (Jala Krida) of Lord Jagannath during the Chandan Yatra.
According to tradition, around 30 Bhoi servitors worked relentlessly to bring all five boats out of the water on Thursday morning. The boats were submerged in the Narendra tank throughout the year and are taken out on Chaitra Purnima to prepare for the festival. The five boats will now be dried and undergo necessary repairs before the festival. All five boats will be broken and again immersed in the Narendra Pond by the boat attendants after the completion of the Chandan festival.
Notably, Chandan Yatra is also known as Sandalwood Voyage. During the festival, the moving idols (Chalanti Pratima) of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, along with Bhudevi, Shridevi, and the Pancha Pandava will enjoy boat rides in the Narendra Sarovar. This ritual symbolises Lord Jagannath’s playful water sports to get relief from the summer.
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.
