**Puri:** Despite heavy downpour, amid the dragging of chariots at the pilgrim town of Puri in the afternoon hours of Rath Yatra day on Wednesday, the enthusiasm of the devotees and their firm faith in the Lords was remarkable and quite evident on the D-day. Rains failed to play any spoilsport on the grandest annual festival.
With the ‘Pahandi’ (ceremonial procession) of all deities to their respective chariots followed by Shankaracharya’s darshan of the deities on the chariots and the last but not the least ritual of ‘Chhera Panhara’ (sweeping and cleansing of chariots) by Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singh Dev, the three Raths (chariots) have now started rolling along the Bada Danda (Grand Road).
‘Pahandi’ (the ritual of carrying the idols to the chariot) began with the mandatory ceremonial procession of Lord Sudarshan first in the morning hours today followed by Lord Balabhadra amid huge gathering of devotees.
The ‘Pahandis’ of Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath followed the suit.
While Lord Sudarshan and Devi Subhadra are on ‘Darpadalan’ chariot, Lord Balabhadra is on the holy seat of ‘Taladhwaja’ chariot and Lord Jagannath is on ‘Nandighosh’.
Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb performed ‘Chhera Panhara’ on the three chariots in turn-at first of Lord Balabhadra, secondly of Devi Subhadra and eventually of Lord Jagannath-the cynosure and darling of the crowd.
As per latest reports, chariot-pulling of Lord Balabhadra’s ‘Taladhwaja’ Rath began at 4.43 pm while of Devi Subhadra’s Rath began at 5.20 pm.
The juggernaut of Lord Jagannath (Nandighosh) eventually set to roll till the last reports poured in.
As per news updates, chariot-pulling for the day was withheld following dawn of evening hours due to security reasons.
As per reports, while Lord Balabhadra’s chariot ‘Taladhwaja’, pulled at first, was parked at Balagandi Chhak while Devi Subhadra’s chariot ‘Debadalana’ was parked at Bagala Dharmashala and Lord Jagannath’s chariot ‘Nandighosh’ before the Srinaar (palace of Gajapati). The pulling of the three parked chariots will be resumed tomorrow (Thursday) to reach its destination-the Gundicha Temple.
The sacred Bada Danda (Grand Road) of the pilgrim town has virtually turned into an ocean of devotees who have thronged the holy land to take part in the nine-day-long chariot festival of the deities.