Puri, Thousands of people dragged giant chariots from the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri towards the Gundicha temple, about 2.5 km away, as the Rath Yatra festivities began in Odisha on Sunday.
However, the celebrations were marred by the death of a devotee and eight people who fell ill from suffocation while pulling carts at night, officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased, identified as Lalit Bagarti of Balangir district, and expressed his condolences. He also directed the officials concerned to ensure best care. medical assistance available for injured devotees.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said he himself was monitoring the situation in Puri.
Some people, including a policeman, were also injured in a stampede-like situation while pulling Mr. Balabhadra's car, officials said. The injured were shifted to hospital, they said.
The 'yatra' began around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati visited the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and the titular king of Puri completed the 'Chhera Pahanra' (chariot sweeping) ritual ).
President Droupadi Murmu performed a 'parikrama' of the three chariots and bowed before the deities.The president, Governor Raghubar Das, CM and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the 'yatra' by pulling the ropes of Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath. Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik also had a 'darshan' of the sister deities.
The 'yatra' stopped after traveling a few meters and will resume on Monday morning, breaking tradition.
"With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all the rituals were completed on time on Sunday. A large number of devotees reached the city to witness the festival and the weather conditions also remained favourable," said chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.The deities sisters boarded their respective cars after completing the three-hour long 'Pahandi' ritual at 2.15 pm.
Chants of 'Jai Jagannath', sounds of gongs, conch shells and cymbals rang in the air at the Singha Dwar of the Puri temple as Lord Sudarshan was escorted for the first time to Darpadalan, the chariot of Devi Subhadra.
Following Lord Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra was taken to Taladhwaja's chariot. Goddess Subhadra, sister of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, was carried to her Darpadalan chariot in a special procession by servants.Finally, Lord Jagannath was carried to her chariot in a ceremonial procession amidst the sound of gongs. In the 'Pahandi' ritual, the deities are carried from the temple to the chariots.
Descending from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the jeweled throne, the three deities were taken out of the temple by the 22 steps known as 'Baisi Pahacha' through the Singha Dwar.
Various rituals like 'Mangla Arati' and 'Mailam' were performed before the presiding deities emerged from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. It is estimated that around a million devotees gathered here for the annual festival. While most of the devotees were from Odisha and neighboring states, many from abroad also joined what is considered one of the largest religious processions in the world, officials said.
"With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, with a committed mindset, we have completed the 22-hour long rituals in eight hours, so the Pahandi ritual was completed two hours before the scheduled time," said Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor. From the temple.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator V Yadav said, "Everything happens as per the wishes of Lord Jagannath." In a post on Puri.
"I too participated in this centuries-long event of spiritual upliftment and felt one with the mass of devotees who thronged this sacred place. For me, it was one of those blessed moments that make us aware of the presence of the Supreme Being. May there be! Peace and prosperity throughout the world by the grace of Mahaprabhu Jagannath!" she wrote.
This year, the annual Rath Yatra is celebrated here for two days. In a departure from tradition, some of the rituals, including 'Nabajouban Darshan' and 'Netra Utsav', were held on Sunday. These rituals are usually performed before the Rath Yatra.
Strict security measures have been put in place, with the deployment of 180 platoons of security personnel, Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said.
Artificial intelligence-based CCTV cameras have been installed at Badadanda, the festival venue, and at other strategic locations in the pilgrim city, ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar said.
However, the celebrations were marred by the death of a devotee and eight people who fell ill from suffocation while pulling carts at night, officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased, identified as Lalit Bagarti of Balangir district, and expressed his condolences. He also directed the officials concerned to ensure best care. medical assistance available for injured devotees.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said he himself was monitoring the situation in Puri.
Some people, including a policeman, were also injured in a stampede-like situation while pulling Mr. Balabhadra's car, officials said. The injured were shifted to hospital, they said.
The 'yatra' began around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati visited the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and the titular king of Puri completed the 'Chhera Pahanra' (chariot sweeping) ritual ).
President Droupadi Murmu performed a 'parikrama' of the three chariots and bowed before the deities.The president, Governor Raghubar Das, CM and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the 'yatra' by pulling the ropes of Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath. Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik also had a 'darshan' of the sister deities.
The 'yatra' stopped after traveling a few meters and will resume on Monday morning, breaking tradition.
"With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all the rituals were completed on time on Sunday. A large number of devotees reached the city to witness the festival and the weather conditions also remained favourable," said chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.The deities sisters boarded their respective cars after completing the three-hour long 'Pahandi' ritual at 2.15 pm.
Chants of 'Jai Jagannath', sounds of gongs, conch shells and cymbals rang in the air at the Singha Dwar of the Puri temple as Lord Sudarshan was escorted for the first time to Darpadalan, the chariot of Devi Subhadra.
Following Lord Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra was taken to Taladhwaja's chariot. Goddess Subhadra, sister of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, was carried to her Darpadalan chariot in a special procession by servants.Finally, Lord Jagannath was carried to her chariot in a ceremonial procession amidst the sound of gongs. In the 'Pahandi' ritual, the deities are carried from the temple to the chariots.
Descending from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the jeweled throne, the three deities were taken out of the temple by the 22 steps known as 'Baisi Pahacha' through the Singha Dwar.
Various rituals like 'Mangla Arati' and 'Mailam' were performed before the presiding deities emerged from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. It is estimated that around a million devotees gathered here for the annual festival. While most of the devotees were from Odisha and neighboring states, many from abroad also joined what is considered one of the largest religious processions in the world, officials said.
"With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, with a committed mindset, we have completed the 22-hour long rituals in eight hours, so the Pahandi ritual was completed two hours before the scheduled time," said Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor. From the temple.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator V Yadav said, "Everything happens as per the wishes of Lord Jagannath." In a post on Puri.
"I too participated in this centuries-long event of spiritual upliftment and felt one with the mass of devotees who thronged this sacred place. For me, it was one of those blessed moments that make us aware of the presence of the Supreme Being. May there be! Peace and prosperity throughout the world by the grace of Mahaprabhu Jagannath!" she wrote.
This year, the annual Rath Yatra is celebrated here for two days. In a departure from tradition, some of the rituals, including 'Nabajouban Darshan' and 'Netra Utsav', were held on Sunday. These rituals are usually performed before the Rath Yatra.
Strict security measures have been put in place, with the deployment of 180 platoons of security personnel, Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said.
Artificial intelligence-based CCTV cameras have been installed at Badadanda, the festival venue, and at other strategic locations in the pilgrim city, ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar said.
