Bhubaneswar, July 24 — Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri in Odisha as the Bahuda Yatra commenced on Friday with the Pahandi Bije rituals of Lord Jagannath, elder brother Lord Balabhadra, sister Devi Subhadra, and the celestial weapon Chakraraj Sudarshan.
The Bahuda Yatra marks the deities' return journey from the Gundicha Temple back to the Shree Jagannath Temple after their nine-day sojourn.
The holy triad was brought to their respective chariots from Gundicha Temple or Adap Mandap in a grand ceremonial Pahandi Bije procession with the enthralling and divine sound of traditional musical instruments.
The coastal city was reverberating with holy chants of Jay Jagannath and Hari Bol by lakhs of devotees gathered there to witness the divine spectacle. The atmosphere was filled with devotion as priests chanted sacred Vedic hymns; traditional Odissi artists were presenting enthralling dance performances, and devotees, in a state of devotional ecstasy, were dancing and chanting the Lord's holy names.
As per the tradition, after the deities are seated on their respective chariots, the king of Puri, Gajapati Dibya Singh Deb, will carry out the ceremonial sweeping of the chariots with a golden broom, popularly known as the 'Chera Pahanra' ritual, before the pulling of the three chariots from Gundicha Temple to Jagannath Temple by the devotees.
The officials of the temple and district administration are on their toes to ensure the smooth completion of all rituals and avoid repetition of any mishap. The Odisha Police have made extensive security and traffic arrangements to ensure the smooth and hassle-free conduct of Bahuda Yatra, ‘Suna Besha’ rituals, etc.
Speaking to media persons, Satyajit Naik, Inspector General of Police (Central Range), said 223 police forces have been deployed for crowd control, traffic management, chariot dragging, night guarding, coastal security, etc., on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra.
He also added that the police arrangements have been intensified this time due to the heavy influx of pilgrims during the Bahuda Yatra and 'Suna Besha' rituals.
According to the IGP, around seven lakh devotees are expected to throng Puri for the Bahuda Yatra on Friday, as the holy city is likely to witness a footfall of more than 10 lakh devotees during the 'Suna Besha' ritual on Saturday.