BARIPADA: A day after the world famous Rath Yatra at Puri, pulling of chariots of the Holy Trinity at Baripada was started on Friday as per tradition.
Considered Dwitiya Sreekhetra, the Rath Yatra of Haribaldev Jew Temple is unique for its 13-day sojourn of the deities and pulling of Devi Subhadra chariot by women only.
While the chariot of Lord Balabhadra had reached Gundicha temple, chariot of Goddess Subhadra was pulled half-way and had to be stopped after sunset.
The pulling of chariots will resume on Saturday and the cars of Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath will be taken to Gundicha temple after which a set of rituals will be performed.
On Friday, women devotees gathered in large numbers to pull Darpadalana, the chariot of Goddess Subhadra, a practice which is being followed since 1975 when it was introduced for the first time by the then Collector Vivekananda Patnaik.
Ambica Das, a woman devotee of Baripada town, who has been pulling the chariot for the last 10 years, said pulling Devi Subhadra chariot is a step towards women empowerment.
Police had made tight security arrangements after women molestation cases were reported last year.
A drone and CCTV camera arrangements were made to keep a close watch on the movement of anti-socials.
While the drone was hovering over the crowd on Grand Road, CCTV cameras were installed at major spots giving 24x7 account of the activity on the nearly 1 km Grand Road.
District Collector Vineet Bhardwaj, SP Awinash Kumar and Sub-Collector Dibya Jati Parida are monitoring all the arrangements for Rath Yatra.
Kumar said six DSPs, 11 inspectors, 17 sub-inspectors, 50 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, 12 APR Havildars, 71 constables, 24 Mahila Constables and 161 Home Guards besides 16 platoons of police force were deployed all along the route.
Baripada Town police station IIC Ashok Nayak said at least six women were detained while trying to snatch jewellery and bags from devotees pulling Devidalana. Necessary action will be initiated after interrogation, he added.
Celebration in Ganjam
The chariots at Surangigada and Dharakote in Ganjam district were pulled on Friday, a day after it was conducted in Puri.
As per tradition, ‘pahandi’ and other rituals of the deities were conducted on Thursday.
While servitors performed the rituals, including ‘chhera pahanra’ at Surangigada, Queen Sulakhyana Gitanjali performed the sweeping at Dharakote.
The deities will stay on the chariots till they are pulled as per the tradition.
Though the exact reason behind delay in pulling the chariot in Surangi is not recorded anywhere, Anantram Kar, a research scholar on Jagannath culture, said the height and weight of the chariots was enormous and condition of roads was not good because of which elephants along with people were engaged in pulling the chariots.
Locals of Surangi used to participate in the Car Festival at Jarada and therefore pulling of chariots was delayed by a day.