Puri: The nine-day stay of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra at the Gundicha Temple will culminate with the much-awaited Sandhya Darshan on Thursday, offering devotees their final opportunity to have darshan of the sibling deities at the Janmabedi before the Bahuda Yatra begins.
Anticipating a massive influx of pilgrims, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has put in place elaborate crowd management and security arrangements to ensure smooth movement of devotees. As per the plan, devotees will enter the Gundicha Temple through the Singhadwara, offer prayers from the designated viewing area, and exit through the Nakachana Dwara.
The temple administration has announced that devotees will be allowed darshan from the Bahara Katha (outer precincts) beginning at 5 am.
After the morning darshan concludes, public entry will be suspended to facilitate preparations for the Bahuda Pahandi, the ceremonial procession during which the deities are carried back to their chariots for the return journey to the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Unlike regular days, holders of special darshan tickets will not be permitted to enter the sanctum on Thursday. However, women members of servitor families will continue to enjoy the traditional privilege of entering the inner shrine.
Even after darshan hours conclude, the Nakachana gate will remain open to facilitate devotees visiting Anand Bazar, where the much-sought-after Adapa Abhada, the sacred food offered to the deities during their stay at Gundicha Temple, will be available until midnight. Devotees will be able to carry the Mahaprasad through the designated exit gate.
Meanwhile, Sharadhabali wore a festive look as preparations gathered pace for the deities’ return journey. Rain had delayed the scheduled (Dakshina Moda) southward turning of the chariots on Tuesday, allowing only Devi Subhadra’s chariot, Darpadalana, to complete the manoeuvre. On Wednesday morning, the remaining two chariots—Taladhwaja of Lord Balabhadra and Nandighosa of Lord Jagannath—were successfully turned southward, completing an important ritual ahead of the Bahuda Yatra.
The temple administration has also released the detailed schedule for Thursday’s rituals. The temple doors will open at 4 am with Dwaraphita, followed by Mangala Alati at 4.30 am and the sequence of daily rituals, including Sakala Dhupa, Madhyanha Dhupa and Sandhya Dhupa. The evening Sandhya Alati will begin at 5 pm, followed by Sandhya Dhupa, while the day will conclude with Bada Singhara Besh, Pahuda rituals and the customary late-night ceremonies leading into the early hours of Friday.
Sandhya Darshan is regarded as one of the most significant occasions of the annual Rath Yatra festivities, drawing lakhs of devotees who gather at the Gundicha Temple to seek the blessings of the Holy Trinity before they embark on their return journey during the Bahuda Yatra.
