JAGATSINGHPUR: The ‘Mahayajna’ near the Daru identified for Lord Jagannath started at Kharipadia village on Friday. The ritual would continue till Saturday morning and after ‘Purna Ahuti’, the holy tree will be felled in the evening.
Biswabasu Binayak Dasmohapatra informed that the Swotriya Brahmins need to chant Patala Nrusingha Mantra 1008 times before ‘Purna Ahuti’ and on Friday, they chanted the mantra 600 times. The process will be completed on Saturday morning.
On Thursday morning, the Swotriya Brahmins performed ‘Bhumi Sodhana’ and ‘Daru Sodhan’ with 108 pitchers of water from river Paika flowing in the vicinity of the tree and offered the ‘Ajnamala’ (go ahead) of Lord Jagannath from Puri temple to the tree. ‘Ankuraropan’ was performed in the evening.
Braving the temperature of 41 degree C, thousands of people from different parts of the State turned up to witness the rituals at Kharipadia and offer prayer. Felling of the Jagannath Daru will mark closing of the last chapter of the Banajaga Yatra of Nabakalebara festival.
Different voluntary organisations have opened ‘Jal Chatras’ (water kiosks) to provide water to devotees and the district administration has pressed fire fighters to spray water on the crowd near the holy tree.
