Jajpur (Odisha), the annual Rath Yatra of the holy trinity (Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra) in Dharmasala, a small town in the Jajpur district of Odisha, is unique as the ceremonial chariot sweeping, known as 'chhera pahanra'. , is carried out by none other than the inspector in charge (IIC) of the local police station.
This year, IIC Tapan Kumar Nayak performed the ceremonial sweeping on the chariot. He was escorted to the Jagannath temple in Bhalukhai in a specially decorated vehicle from his police station, situated about 2 kilometers from the shrine. Dressed in royal attire, the inspector received a warm welcome along the way.
"Nayak boarded the chariot and conducted the traditional ceremony of sweeping Lord Jagannath's chariot with a golden-handled broom, amidst chanting by the priests. The IIC plays an important role as the chief servant of Lord Jagannath in this context," he said. a priest.
"It is a great privilege for me to serve the Lord," Nayak said after performing the ritual.
Similarly, the Rath Yatra in Gadamadhupur, an ancient kingdom in Jajpur district, attracted considerable attention, with a female member of the royal family performing rituals on the chariot.
Aparna Dhir Singh Bharadwaj, 46, a descendant of the Gadamadhupur royal family, performed the 'chera pahanra' and other ceremonial rituals of the deities.
Aparna has been performing these rituals for the past five years, introducing a change to his family's 400-year-old tradition.
Following the death of her father Raja Birabara Krunshaprasad Dhir Singh in 2012, and without a male successor, Aparna was crowned queen and since then she assumed the responsibility of performing these rituals.
The Rath Yatra in Gadamadhupur follows the Puri code. After completing the rituals of the three deities and the ceremonial procession of 'pahandi bije', the trinity is enthroned on the chariot, which begins its procession at 5 pm. Thousands of devotees from the area gathered at the royal temple to participate in the festivities.
The annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra to Chhatia in the district is noteworthy due to the longest chariot procession in the state. The three carts are dragged from Chhatia to Badaghumuri, covering a distance of about 12 kilometres, including 8 kilometers along National Highway 16.
A large number of devotees participate by pulling the chariots all along the way. After the 'pahandi' of the three deities, the chariot journey begins in the afternoon and reaches the Mausima temple in the afternoon. Many police personnel are also involved to ensure that the cars reach their destination quickly along the National Highway.
This year, IIC Tapan Kumar Nayak performed the ceremonial sweeping on the chariot. He was escorted to the Jagannath temple in Bhalukhai in a specially decorated vehicle from his police station, situated about 2 kilometers from the shrine. Dressed in royal attire, the inspector received a warm welcome along the way.
"Nayak boarded the chariot and conducted the traditional ceremony of sweeping Lord Jagannath's chariot with a golden-handled broom, amidst chanting by the priests. The IIC plays an important role as the chief servant of Lord Jagannath in this context," he said. a priest.
"It is a great privilege for me to serve the Lord," Nayak said after performing the ritual.
Similarly, the Rath Yatra in Gadamadhupur, an ancient kingdom in Jajpur district, attracted considerable attention, with a female member of the royal family performing rituals on the chariot.
Aparna Dhir Singh Bharadwaj, 46, a descendant of the Gadamadhupur royal family, performed the 'chera pahanra' and other ceremonial rituals of the deities.
Aparna has been performing these rituals for the past five years, introducing a change to his family's 400-year-old tradition.
Following the death of her father Raja Birabara Krunshaprasad Dhir Singh in 2012, and without a male successor, Aparna was crowned queen and since then she assumed the responsibility of performing these rituals.
The Rath Yatra in Gadamadhupur follows the Puri code. After completing the rituals of the three deities and the ceremonial procession of 'pahandi bije', the trinity is enthroned on the chariot, which begins its procession at 5 pm. Thousands of devotees from the area gathered at the royal temple to participate in the festivities.
The annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra to Chhatia in the district is noteworthy due to the longest chariot procession in the state. The three carts are dragged from Chhatia to Badaghumuri, covering a distance of about 12 kilometres, including 8 kilometers along National Highway 16.
A large number of devotees participate by pulling the chariots all along the way. After the 'pahandi' of the three deities, the chariot journey begins in the afternoon and reaches the Mausima temple in the afternoon. Many police personnel are also involved to ensure that the cars reach their destination quickly along the National Highway.
