Ghumura dance by Brindaban Sanskrutika Anustan – an organisation promoting dying folk arts of Odisha – was the cynosure of all eyes at the return rath yatra, popular as Bahuda Yatra organised by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj on Thursday.
A 20-member troupe from Kesinga of Kalahandi showcased their talent in dancing and playing with traditional instruments generating war music. According to ‘Chandi Puran,’ when Goddess Durga asked all the Gods and Goddesses in the heaven to hand over their weapons to kill demon king Mahisasur, one of the musical instruments received was Ghumura.
The instrument is made with combination of Dambaru used by Lord Shiva and Veena played by Goddess Saraswati, according to Samaj vice-president Arun Das. The dance troupe entertained the crowds as the chariot carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra was pulled by the devotees from the Gundicha Ghar in Lawson’s Bay Colony to the main temple located on Daspalla Hills. Earlier, Lal Saheb Pramod Chandra Deo Bhanj belonging to Daspalla royal family performed chhera pahanra – the sweeping of the floor with a golden broom.
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Bahuda Yatra marks end of the annual sojourn of Lord Jagannath and his siblings at his aunt’s place, popularly known as Gundicha Ghar. “The yatra this year had brought rains after ending a long dry spell,” said Samaj president and Orissa Stevedores Ltd General Manager J.K. Nayak.
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The bahuda yatra was celebrated in Ukkunagaram – the township of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant – with traditional gaiety and religious fervour.
RINL Director (Operations) Umesh Chandra accompanied by his wife Sushma Chowhan performed chhera panhara and offered prayers. Hundreds of devotees pulled the chariot along the streets of Ukkunagaram. Bhajans and dance troupes performed along the Lord’s yatra route. Large number of devotees in and around township offered prayers and participated in the festival.