Joyous Beginnings: Divine ‘Pahandi’ Ritual at Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra with President Murmu – Spectacular Photos Inside!
The annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of India’s most significant and eagerly awaited festivals, commenced in Odisha’s Puri district on Sunday. The two-day event this year is driven by specific celestial arrangements, adding to its spiritual significance.
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Puri to witness the Rath Yatra, joining millions of devotees from across the country. High-profile attendees included Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and several other dignitaries. The festival offers a vibrant and emotional experience, with the chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ and the sounds of gongs, conches, and cymbals filling the air around the Puri temple’s Lion’s Gate.
The procession began with the escorting of Lord Sudarshan to the Darpadalan chariot of Devi Subhadra, followed by Lord Balabhadra to his Taladhwaja chariot. Goddess Subhadra, sister to Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, was brought to her Darpadalan chariot in a special procession by servitors. Finally, Lord Jagannath was ceremoniously moved to the Nandighosa chariot amid the sounds of gongs.
Prominent attendees like Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra also participated in the event. Visuals from the event show the elaborately decorated chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra lined along the wide avenue in front of the temple’s eastern entrance, known as the Sinhadwara or Lion’s Gate.
The chariots are reconstructed each year from specific types of wood, crafted by specialist hereditary carpenters. In a royal ritual called ‘Pahandi,’ the deities descended from their bejeweled throne, known as the ‘Ratna Sinhasana,’ down the 22 steps called ‘Baisi Pahacha’ through the Lion’s Gate. A number of customary rituals, including ‘Mangla Arati’ and ‘Mailam,’ were conducted before the deities set out from the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
The festival, associated with Lord Jagannath—an avatar of Lord Vishnu—and his siblings, sees the deities carried on beautifully crafted wooden chariots from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple in Puri.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra-pahandi-ritual-of-deities-begins-president-murmu-attends-celebrations-see-photos-11720350751462.html
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