Bhubaneswar:The annual Srigundicha Yatra, popularly often known as the Rath Yatra, entered its ultimate section on Friday as Lord Jagannath’s chariot, Nandighosha, reached the Gundicha Temple in Puri, finishing the ceremonial journey of the sibling deities from the Twelfth-century Shree Jagannath Temple.
Earlier within the day, the chariots of Lord Balabhadra (Taladhwaja) and Devi Subhadra (Darpadalana) additionally arrived on the Gundicha Temple, the place the deities will keep for every week earlier than the return journey, often known as Bahuda Yatra.
The ceremonial pulling of the three towering picket chariots had begun on Thursday afternoon. Nevertheless, the procession was suspended for the night time after the normal schedule prolonged past the prescribed ritual hours.
The chariots have been stationed at completely different factors alongside the Bada Danda (Grand Highway) earlier than the procession resumed on Friday morning.
Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja had halted close to Market Chhak, Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana stopped at Marchikote Chhak, whereas Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha had coated solely a brief distance earlier than the day’s rituals concluded on Thursday.
The pulling of the chariots resumed shortly after 9.30 am on Friday amid chants of “Jai Jagannath” by lakhs of devotees lining the Grand Highway. The ultimate stretch concluded peacefully below elaborate safety preparations.
The deities are scheduled to enter the sanctum of the Gundicha Temple through the ceremonial Adapa Bije ritual on Saturday. They may stay there for a number of days earlier than embarking on the return journey to the primary temple.
This 12 months’s Rath Yatra additionally featured an upgraded waterproof braking system fitted to all three chariots, enhancing security for hundreds of devotees engaged in pulling the large constructions.
Every of the picket chariots weighs greater than 40 tonnes and is pulled manually with thick ropes by devotees. Earlier than the introduction of the braking mechanism, controlling the motion of the chariots as soon as they gained momentum was a big problem.
The braking system was initially conceived by retired engineer Ashwini Kumar Mishra, who developed a easy but efficient design utilizing sal wooden blocks, specifically handled rubber straps and a chain-and-pulley mechanism. The system has since undergone additional refinements and has turn out to be an integral security characteristic through the annual competition.
The Rath Yatra, one in all Hinduism’s largest and most celebrated festivals, attracts lakhs of devotees from throughout India and overseas to Puri yearly.
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