By Our Correspondent
RAIPUR: The Annual Car Festival was celebrated at the largest Jagannath Temple of Chhattisgarh in Gayatri Nagar at Raipur with pomp, splendour and spectacular fanfare. The Mega Celebration hosted by Shree Jagannath temple Seva Samiti to mark the union of Lord of the Universe with common devotees witnessed the congregation of more than a lakh spectators from Raipur and adjoining areas.
Unusual enthusiasms and unprecedented excitements were visible among the strong crowd of Odia and Non Odia devotees gathered here with their family members since the wee hours of the auspicious day to take part in the Grand Celebration. The Temple management Committee under the active stewardship of its Founder President and Local MLA Purandar Mishra had made massive arrangements to control the crowd, to maintain law and order and to distribute Mahaprasad in large scale.
In the morning religious rituals were performed before the Deities in the Temple amidst spiritual fervour. Special Havan was organised to invoke the blessings of the God. After the conclusion of Havan at around 12.45 p.m. in afternoon the Pahandi Bije of God Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra, Debi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath were conducted by servitors to the three aesthetically and elegantly decorated Chariots parked in the Grand Road in front of the Temple.
Governor of Chhattisgarh Biswabhushan Harichandan was the Chief Guest and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was the Guest of Honour. Other distinguished Guests present include Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, MP Brij Mohan Agrawal, MLA Motilal Sahu and Mayor Aijaz Dhebar. The entire atmosphere got reverberated with the recitals of hymns, roaring of slogans like Haribol and Jai Jagannath, sounding of Huluhuli, blowing of conch and playing of musical instruments such as Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga by the devotees.
At around 3.00 p.m. the pulling of Chariots commenced. The spectacular view of Royal Sojourn of the Gods and Goddess on board the colourful chariots were memorable and mesmerising. The Sea of Humanities assembled here were at their devotional and emotional best to have a holy glimpse of the Broad round eye of the Black Lord from atop the Nandighosh Chariot. The chariots were pulled till 1 km to B.T.I ground and then taken back to Temple premises via Shankar Nagar. At around 6.00 p.m. The Gods and Goddess were taken to Aunt’s House situated at the Basement of the Temple in a procession.
The entire arrangements of Car Festival were well organised and smoothly executed under the able and active supervision of the custodians of the Temple Management Committee like President Purandar Mishra, Members Manmath Kumar.Raut, Subrat Sahoo, Subhaash Agrawal, Gopal Agrawal, Dwarikadheesh Mishra, Gunanidhi Mishra and Prakash Das.
