BERHAMPUR: Celebrations in Ganjam are unique as far as Rath Yatra is concerned. There are 239 Jagannath temples across the district and while chariots of most Jagannath temples are pulled as per the rituals of Puri Jagannath temple, chariots of temples at Marada, also known as Sarana Sreekhetra, Dharakote, Kulada, Badagada, Khallikote and Surangi are pulled one day after.
Though there is no religious explanation for the delay in pulling chariot, locals believe that as all devotees of the area visit Puri on Rath Yatra day. There are not enough people left to pull the chariot and hence, the nine-day festival is delayed by a day. The ritual is also observed a day later in Jarada Jagannath temple, a replica of Puri temple. Ganjam is also known for Sarana Sreekhetra at Marada where Lord Jagannath and His siblings were kept hidden from Muslim invaders. The temple near Mathura village is 300 years old and has no idols of the Trinity. In Dharakote, Sulakhyana Gitanjali Devi, scion of the royal family, performed the ‘chhera pahanra’.