CUTTACK: While the entire state was seen soaking in the Rath Yatra fervour on Tuesday, in Cuttack too, the Car Festival was celebrated with pomp and gaiety. Despite the sweltering heat, hundreds of devotees were seen thronging different Jagannath temples to take part in the annual sojourn of the Trinity. As usual, there was a huge footfall of devotees at the Jagannath temple in Chandni Chowk and Patitapaban temple at Dolamundai.
All the rituals at these two biggest Jagannath temples of the city were performed in time when thousands of devotees pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to the Gundicha temple.
At Chandni Chowk Jagannath temple, the ‘Pahandi Bije’ ritual began around 11 am following which the chariots were pulled towards the temporary Gundicha temple near Belleview Square at around 2.30 pm.
This year, a troupe of female artists from Balangir, decked up in vibrant yellow and red colour sarees, performed the traditional Dhanakoila dance with decorated pitchers on their heads during the chariot-pulling ceremony.
At Dolamundai, the chariots were pulled from Dolamundai to Seminary Chowk and back to Chandan Padia where the Gundicha temple is located. Going by the tradition, the chariot of Devi Subhadra of both the temples at Dolamundai and Chandni Chowk, was pulled exclusively by women. Meanwhile, a huge crowd of devotees was also witnessed during the Rath Yatra at Baladevjew temple in Ranihat.
Here the deities were mounted on a single chariot. The car festival was also celebrated at Jobra Nuasahi, Bidanasi Matha Sahi, Bidanasi Nua Sahi, Sankarpur, Mahanadi Vihar, Gatiroutpatana, Baranga, Nadia Gurudi, Urali, Pratap Nagari, Nuagarh, Balikuda, Kuranga Sashan, Choudwar, Padmapur, Kandarpur and some other places of Cuttack UPD.
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The Commissionerate Police meanwhile, deployed 15 platoons of police force at crucial locations across the city for the maintenance of law and order, smooth conduct of the festival and traffic regulation.