The Holy Trinity took off on their annual sojourn on Wednesday with the pilgrim town turning into a giant tide of spiritual fervour, breaking barriers of caste, creed and religion. Driven by the surge of humanity, the deities made their way to their aunt’s place on majestic chariots as security agencies kept a close watch in the wake of Bodh Gaya bombings.
Braving the sweltering conditions, close to seven lakh devotees swayed to the sounds of cymbals, chants and conches as the rituals of one of the grandest spectacles on the earth unfolded in the morning. The pilgrims jostled to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, who were escorted by the Daita servitors to their respective chariots “Nandighosha,” “Taladhwaja” and “Darpadalana” in a traditionally elaborate ceremony.
The pilgrims and devotees occupied every available space on ‘Badadanda’ soaking in each and every moment as the chariots rolled on, stopping and starting along the way. Elder sibling Lord Balabhadra was the first to move, at about 3.15 pm, followed by sister Devi Subhadra half an hour later. But the tardy movement of “Darpadalana,” which had gone off track, held back the start of Lord Jagannath’s journey. It was about 4.20 pm that the bedecked Nandighosha, in simmering yellow and red, made the first move triggering a frenzy among lakhs of devotees present along Grand Road. By the fall of evening, the three chariots were still at a fair distance from Gundicha temple, their destination.
The morning rituals were delayed a bit, but soon picked pace. The traditional procession or “pahandi” which was scheduled to start at 9 am, began at 10 am with the three deities ushered in to the chariots in all their glory, their massive floral tiaras swinging to the beat of music.
A bright sunny day, with no prediction of rain, suddenly witnessed a spell of showers around noon resurrecting the spirit of devotees hit by hot and humid conditions. As if to pave the way for the pulling of chariots, after Puri King Dibya Singh Deb carried out the “chhera panhara” on the three chariots, the rain stopped. However, close to 30 persons had lost consciousness by then and provided treatment.
Watched by millions on TV, the Rath Yatra was a high security affair with about 110 platoon police force standing guard. Anti-terrorist units, snipers and Rapid Action Force were deployed while at least 35 CCTV cameras were installed to keep a watch on mischief makers. Vigil from the air was also maintained.
Among others, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his Cabinet colleagues and judges of Orissa High Court witnessed the festival.