A huge crowd dragged the giant chariot of Jagannath, the earth lord, and his two siblings from a 12th-century stone temple in the center of the seaside pilgrimage city to another residence about 2 kilometers away on Tuesday .
Muscles gleaming in the setting sun, thousands of shirtless men pulled the three nearly 45-foot wooden chariots of Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Lady Subhadra, while many more huddled together to touch, Pray or just admire the massive procession.
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and Prime Minister Naveen Patnaik symbolically started the mammoth chariot pulling exercise by pulling the rope connecting the main Jagannath chariot.
To the rhythmic beating of cymbals and tambourines, priests surround the deity in covered chariots as the procession winds its way slowly and windingly down the main street of the temple city. ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Haribol‘ fill the air as zealots try to catch a glimpse of what most Hindus, especially Vaishnavites, consider to be a sacred occasion.
Earlier Tuesday, Puri’s Gajapati Maharaja Divya Singha Deb ceremonially swept the chariot with a gold-handled broom while priests sprinkled it with flowers and perfume. Various groups perform “Kirtans” (religious songs) and dance in front of the chariot before the procession begins.
The district government and police have implemented strict security measures to ensure the success of the festival.
The annual Ratha Jatra, marking the nine-day abode of Lord Jagannath, takes place every year in the month of Ashada (June-July). According to the Hindu Almanac.
Painting of the chariot begins after the titular king of Puri completes the “chhera pahanra” (car sweeping) ceremony. The wooden horse is mounted on the chariot, and the pilots guide the devotees to pull the chariot in the right direction.
The enthusiasm of everyone, including the servants serving the Lord, was evident and the ceremony ended early,” said Ranjan Kumar Das of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
The elder brother Lord Balabhadra was the first to leave the temple, followed by Lady Subhadra and later Lord Jagannath himself. As Lord Balabhadra sat on Taladwaj’s chariot, Lord Jagannath adorned the chariot named Nandighosh and Chakra Raj Sudarsan sat on Lady Subhadra’s Darpadalan chariot.
