By Our Correspondent
VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizag’s Jagannath Temple hosted Bahuda Yatra with much fanfare and spiritual fervour. To mark the occasion special religious rituals were performed before the four deities stationed at Aunt’s house in Lawsons Bay Colony in the day. Around 4:30 pm in the afternoon, the Gods and Goddess were taken in the procession to the colourfully decorated chariot standing in front of the temple. The erstwhile king of Daspalla Lal Saheb Pramod Deo Bhanja did the traditional sweeping of the chariot called the Chherra Pahanra. Around 5 pm in the evening the long awaited return journey of the Lord of the Universe 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 3000 strong devotees. Lots of Ladies were seen pulling the Chariot with much enthusiasm and excitement. The Highlight of the Mega Event was the Presentation of Spirited Beating of Drums by the Dulduli Troupe hailing from Kesinga in Kalahndi District of Odisha.
The entire atmosphere got reverberated and the audience were moved and mesmerised by the spectacular Sound from their Drums. Travelling through Shanti Ashram, UDA Park, AU Gate, UDA Children’s Arena and All India Radio, the chariot reached its final destination at the Main Temple on Daspalla Hills at around 8 pm. 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 in the Theatre form during the occasion inside 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.
The entire arrangement of the Bahuda Yatra was well managed and neatly executed by the President of Utkal Sanskritika Samaja and Vice President of Orissa Stevedores Jitendra Kumar Nayak and General Secretary of Sanskrutika Samaj Bimal Kumar Mahanta. Both Car and Return Journey Festivals in Vizag have become massive success and were talk of the City because of the Painstaking efforts Put up by Shri Nayak and Shri Mahanta.
