BHAWANIPATNA: Awareness rallies and meetings conducted by the district administration have failed to stop thousands of people of Bhawanipatna from sacrificing animals during the Chhatar Yatra on Sunday.
The famous Chhatar Yatra of Maa Manikeswari was taken out on Saturday midnight after ‘Sandhi Puja’. The Chhatar was taken secretly to Jenakhal, about three kms from the temple on the outskirts of the town. After performance of secret tantric rituals, the Chhatar was brought back to the temple accompanied by ‘Jenavadya’ to the sounds of ‘Ghanta’, ‘Kahali’ and ‘Ghumura’ and dancers performing ‘Ghumura’ and martial art forms. The Chhatar took more than nine hours to cover the short distance of three kms. It reached the temple at 2.30 pm. The entire return journey of the Goddess was marked by sacrifices of goats by devotees along both sides of the road as a mark of fulfillment of their wishes. On the temple premises, scion of royal family Jubraj Ananta Pratap Deo received the Chhatar from Chhatar Bahaka and handed it over to the main priest to place it inside the temple. Thereafter, a special yajna and other rituals were performed.
After the entry of Chhatar in the temple, Nabanna was offered to deity Budha Raja (Maha Kala Bhairaba) located on the temple premises. Incidentally, the Nabanna of Manikeswari is held on Bhadraba Sukla Dasami but the temple of Budha Raja which remains closed throughout the year, opens from Maha Saptami to Vijaya Dasami. Hence, Nabanna is offered to Budha Raja after Chhatar Yatra. Thereafter, the royal family partakes Nabanna. There is a belief that it rains after the Chhatar enters the temple and this is popularly known as ‘Rakat Dhua Pani’. On Sunday, soon after the Chhatar entered the temple, there was a heavy shower which wiped off blood stains from the road.
Elaborate security arrangements were made to maintain law and order during the annual event. The festival ended peacefully with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, said sources.
However, the interesting part of the yatra is that after the animal sacrifice, people release doves in the air as mark of peace.