PURI: Curtains came down on the annual Chandan Yatra on Thursday. The 21-day boat festival of the Trinity was held without participation of devotees in view of the Covid situation.
In the afternoon, the representative idol of Lord Jagannath ‘Madanmohan’ accompanied by ‘Ramakrushna’, ‘Bhudebi’, ‘Sridebi’ and the ‘Panch Pandavas’ went in a procession riding decorated palanquins and reached Narendra tank. Priests offered the deities ‘Mandua’, a special delicacy.
The deities then boarded ‘Nanda’ and ‘Bhadra’, the two swan-shaped boats. ‘Dina Chapa’ ritual was completed at 5 pm following which ‘Rati Chapa’ was performed. After ‘Chapakhela’, the deities were offered bhog and adorned with flowers. At 9 pm, the deities returned to their respective temples.
The administration deployed five platoons of police force and magistrates around the Narendra tank and the route leading to it from Simhadwar to prevent devotees from crowding the area. Section 144 was clamped around the tank. The festival was observed in strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, carpenters and artisans on Thursday fixed three pairs of wheels to the axles of chariots for the upcoming Rath Yatra on July 12. As per tradition, after Sakal Dhupa offering to the Trinity, three servitors brought ‘agnyamalas’ from the deities and came in a procession to the chariot construction yard.
They handed over ‘agnyamalas’ to three Biswakarmas (chief carpenters) for fixing the wheels. By afternoon three sets of wheels were fixed in the axles and work in the yard was closed for the day. Around 200 artisans including carpenters and blacksmiths are engaged in chariot construction under the three Biswakarmas.
Meet on temple repairs
Puri: A meeting of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) experts and Sri Jagannath temple officials was held to discuss the annual repairs of the Garbha Gruha (sanctum sanctorum) during Rath Yatra when the deities will be away in Gundicha temple. The meet was also attended by structural engineers of IIT and civil engineers of the Public Works department.
A micro plan for the annual repairs of the Garbha Gruha of Srimandir will be chalked out soon. This apart, a five-year plan for comprehensive conservation and repairs to other small temples in Srimandir complex will be prepared. Among others, deputy director general of ASI Janhwij Sharma, director, science and conservation Ramji Nigam, former professor IIT, Kharagpur AP Gupta and chief administrator of SJTA Dr Krishan Kumar were present.