BARIPADA: Lakhs of devotees thronged the Grand Road to pull the chariots as the Trinity’s Bahuda Yatra concluded at the Dwitiya Srikhetra on Monday. Sources said nearly 1.5 lakh devotees came together to participate in the homecoming of the deities after their eight-day stay at their aunt’s place. The Grand Road reverberated with chants, sounds of cymbals, mridang, conches and ‘kirtans’. All business establishments remained shut and the power supply was disconnected on both sides of the road during the pulling of chariots.
The chariot of Devi Subhadra, which had halted mid-way in front of Baripada town police station on Sunday, was pulled by the women devotees and reached Haribaldev Jew temple at around 3.30 pm. Lord Balabhadra’s chariot, which had halted in front of Mausima temple after Pahandi, reached the temple two hours later.
The servitors of Haribaldevjew temple then performed the rituals of Abakas, Madhyana dhupa, and Sandhya dhupa on the chariots besides offering bhog to deities. The grand event at the Dwitiya Srikhetra is different from Puri. Here, it is a 13-day affair where women devotees have been exclusively pulling the chariot of Devi Subhadra since 1975. Smruti Rekha Upadhyay, a woman devotee from 24 Parganas of neighbouring West Bengal, said she participated in the chariot pulling of Devi Subhara this time and it was a lifetime experience.
Contacted, Mayurbhanj SP Rishikesh D Khilari said Bahuda Yatra was smoothly conducted with help of local people. No untoward incident was reported during pulling of the chariots. Police forces were exclusively engaged on the Grand Road and its adjoining routes to prevent any law and order situation.