Puri(vsk)-Sri Sri Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra or Chariot festival of Jagannath Puri is one of the largest religious ceremonies in Bharat (India) and the world too. Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra dates on 3rd July , Sunday, this year 2011. Puri Rath Yatra commemorates the significant journey of Lord Krishna from Gokula to Mathura. This annual festival is celebrated on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashad month).
Over 12 lakh devotees witnessed the Rath Yatra on Sunday as Lord Jagannath along with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra set out on a nine-day sojourn to the Gundicha Temple, mounted on their three Raths. On the way they tasted the typical Odia delicacy Podapitha at the Mausima Temple.
Pilgrims jostled to have a glimpse of the Lords as they came out of the temple in Pahandi.
Chanting of slokas and hulahuli rented the air as the 'Lord of the Universe' came out majestically swinging his giant tiara, a floral head gear, in style. Swinging of the floral tiaras with every step of the Lord during the pahandi was the most soothing treat to the devotees. The Odishi dancers dancing to the tunes of ghantas, cymbals, drums, blowing of conch shells and trumpets presented a rapturously serene and celestial atmosphere. Display of acrobatic and martial art skills by the local youth, particularly the display of
+'banati' made the Lords' procession more absorbing. Lakhs of devotees who were struggling since morning in the sweltering heat to find a steady foothold on the badadanda (Grand Road) were more than charmed as soon as Lord Jagannath strode out of the Simhadwar in royal majesty.
Despite unbearable heat, lakhs of devotees were present on the badadanda forming an ocean of humans. The fire tender workers had a tough time sprinkling water from a number of units to cool-treat the devotees.
Unlike yester years when the festival schedule got delayed because of some reason or the other, the schedule this time was surprisingly advanced by about one hour. The pahandi began at about 8.35 am and was completed by 11.15. Gajapati Divyasingh Dev conducted
Chherapahanra (sweeping of the Raths by a golden broom) of the three chariots before the pulling began. Sankaracharya of Goberdhan Peetha Swamy Neeschalananda Saraswati came along with his desciples and offered prayers to the lord atop the chariots.
Elder brother Balabhadra on his Taladhwaja started the journey at 2 pm followed by Sister Subhadra on her Darpadalan at 2.45 pm. The last was Lord Jagannath on his Nandighosh at 3.10 pm. Till filing of this report the Raths of Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra had reached Gundicha temple, the destination. They would remain atop the theirchariots for the night and on the morrow they would be escorted into the sanctum sanctorum of the Gundicha Temple.
The beautification of the chariots by decorative appliqué designs, painting of fine and lively celestial images on the body of the chariots, also bedecked with scented flowers, have made the chariots more colourful this year. The temple and the district administrations had made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the fete and to provide comfort to millions of devotees.
85 platoons of armed police personnel besides RAF and commandos were deployed at the festival site. Scores of home guards and bomb disposal squads, sniffer dog units were pressed into service. A number of high resolution TV cameras were made operational to monitor crowd movement along the Grand Road. DGP Manmohan Praharaj, additional DGP Sanjib Marik and Dy IGP Kutte were marshalling the police operation and regulating the pilgrim traffic. Chief administrator of the temple PK Mahapatra, District Magistrate Fakir Charan Satpathy and SP Amitendranath Sinha were sweating it out to see everything moving fine.
Odisha Governor MC Bhandare, Assam Governor JB Patnaik, Himachal Pradesh Governor Urmila Singh, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with his Cabinet colleagues and the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and other justices were present to witness the fete.
1 dies of cardiac arrest, scores fall sick in extreme heat
In a shocking incident, one Sudhakar Swain of Gorekhnathpur in Jagatsinghpur district lost his life in a mini stampede in the initial hours of chariot pulling while scores of others who swooned under unbearable heat were rushed to the hospital for treatment. DG of Police Manmohan Praharaj said deceased Swain who was 61 years old succumbed to cardiac arrest. The car festival was by and large peaceful and incident-free.
2 devotees crushed under chariot wheels
The Rath Yatra gaiety turned into gloom at Sunthipal in Tigiria block when the chariot wheel of Lord Dadhi Baman Jew ran over one Trinath Rout (16), son of Laxman Rout of Palaput village in Baunsaput Gram Panchayat under Banki block, killing the boy near the Mausima Temple at 3.45 pm. Angered over the incident the people keeping the body at the spot demanded Government assistance to the victim's family. After 2 hours, Tigiria tehsildar with police reached the spot and handed Rs 1,500 towards funeral rites of the deceased and sent the body to the Sub-divisional Hospital at Athgarh for post mortem. As Trinath comes under the BPL category, locals have demanded at least Rs 3 lakh as compensation from the administration.
The car festival is being observed here for over 100 years and more than 5,000 people congregate to participate in the festival. But no security precautions were made by the civil administration or the police. The people have condemned the administration holding it responsible for this unpleasant incident. Fifteen-year-old Debabrata Mohanta of Talakurunia village under Bahanga block died as he was run over by a chariot during the Rath Yatra at Gopalpur. Another person, Prasanta Panigrahi, received injuries during the pulling of chariot. Mohanta fell from the running chariot and came under its wheels. He was rushed to the local PHC, but he succumbed to his injuries there, informed police sources.
