In the small Jagannath temple near Gorimedu off Tindivanam Highway, people belonging to the Odia community in Puducherry gathered on Sunday to bring alive their annual tradition with all religious fervour.
As bhajans were being chanted, devotees held flower petals in their hands waiting for the idols to be taken out from the shrine to the chariot. Recreating the Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrated in Puri, Pondicherry Utkal Samaj conducted elaborate rituals before the chariot chair was tugged.
The most famous festival of Lord Jagannath, the Rath Yatra begins after 15 days (Anabasara) of Snana Purnima. It is believed that the deities fall sick after this bath. During this sickness, the deities are not available for darshan and move to another place to recover. They go to their aunt’s place for convalescence for nine days. G.K. Pal, Dean, Jipmer – Karaikal, also a member of the association, said that this festival is observed to send the deities to their aunt’s place.
The unfinished idols of three deities — Lord Jagannath (an avatar of Krishna) and his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra — were taken to the decorated chariot as devotees showered marigold petals amidst playing of percussion and chanting.
Jipmer Director S.C. Parija, also a member of the Samaj, who oversaw the rituals took out the last idol from the shrine and they ceremoniously circumambulated the chariot car thrice. Chief Minister V.Narayanasamy donned the role of a king and symbolically swept the ground with a golden broom before tugging the decorated chariot.
On the day of the most important festival for the Odia community here, devotees, irrespective of their age participated to pull the chariot around the ground. After nine days, the deities would be brought back to the shrine, which is called Bahuda.
Chief Secretary Manoj Parida, Minister for Welfare M. Kandasamy, Deputy Speaker V.P. Sivakolunthu also participated.
