By Our Correspondent
RAIPUR/BHUBANESWAR: Bahuda Yatra was celebrated at the biggest Jagannath Temple in Chhattisgarh at Gayatri Nagar in Raipur amidst pious atmosphere and spiritual fervour. To mark the occasion special religious rituals were performed before the four deities stationed at Adap Mandap inside the Aunt’s house at the basement of the main Temple till afternoon.
At around 5.00pm, the Gods and Goddess were taken in Pahandi procession to the elegantly decorated three chariots standing in front of the temple. Chief Guest of the return of the Chariot Festival Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Raman Singh and Guest of Honour Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahanta did the traditional sweeping of the chariot called the Chherra Pahanra. The Founder of the Temple Purandar Mishra helped them to conduct the job.The Incessant rain In the afternoon here was seeming like showering of Lord of the Universe’s blessings from sky.
Around early in the evening the long awaited return journey of the Chariots commenced . The juggernaut started rolling amidst the Slogans of ‘Hari Bol’, ‘Jai Jagannath’, playing of Musical instruments like Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja, Mrudunga and singing of Soul soothing Kirtans and Bhajans by devotees. Travelling through the outskirt of the Temple compound the chariots were pulled back to the Grand Road infront of the main temple at around 7pm.
An enraged Goddess Laxmi blocked the entrance of Lord Jagannath to enter into the Temple because she was not invited to accompany the Siblings during the Rath Yatra. Lord Jagannath immediately took stock of the situation and offered Delicious Rasagolla to the Goddess to Cajole her. Then she was pacified and granted permission to the deities to get in. This Episode was enacted during the occasion in the Temple premises. The Idols were then taken inside the Temple by the servitors and devotees performing Dhadi Pahandi and placed on the Sanctum Santorum at around 8.30 p.m. .
The entire arrangements of the Bahuda Yatra were well managed and neatly executed by the overall supervision of the custodians of the Temple Management Committee Shri Jagannath Temple Seva Samiti like President Purandar Mishra, Members Manmath Kumar Raut, Subrat Sahoo, Subhaash Agrawal, Gopal Agrawal, Dwarikadheesh Mishra, Gunanidhi Mishra and Prakash Das.
