BHUBANESWAR: After their weeklong stay at Gundicha temple, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra embarked on the return journey to Jagannath Temple on Bahuda Yatra on Monday.
Despite the heat, a vast multitude of devotees gathered on the Grand Road to pull the chariots and get a glimpse of the sibling deities amid a joyous atmosphere. A short spell of rain brought relief to the pilgrims.The deities on their iconic chariots began their annual pilgrimage to Gundicha temple, their birthplace, on Rath Yatra on July 7.
Similar to Rath Yatra, Puri was filled with devotees for Bahuda Yatra. The devotees pulled the chariots along the 3-km Grand Road, accompanied by the beating of cymbals, gongs and flutes. The chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra reached in front of Jagannath Temple in the evening.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said the festival proceeded smoothly. Unlike Rath Yatra, steps were taken to prevent overcrowding on the chariots. After Lord Balabhadra’s idol fell during the Pahandi ritual on July 9, servitors were asked to take adequate precautions during shifting of the idols from Gundicha temple to the chariots on Monday.
“We bid adieu to the deities until next year. From Rath Yatra to Bahuda Yatra, I did not miss a single day to get a glimpse of the deities. We had smooth darshan on the chariots and inside Gundicha temple,” said Prabhasini Biswal, a devotee from Kakatpur in Puri district.
Rituals of the deities were completed as per schedule. The deities will continue to remain on their chariots outside Jagannath Temple for three days before being taken to the sanctum sanctorum on the occasion of Niladri Bije on July 19. The Puri district administration, SJTA and police geared up to ensure a hassle-free Suna Besha ritual on Wednesday. The sibling deities will adorn huge quantities of gold jewellery aboard their chariots and give darshan to devotees on that day.
“We are prepared for Suna Besha. Adequate security arrangements would be made for smooth movement of devotees in front of the chariots. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra, we have readied our traffic regulation plans,” Puri SP Pinak Mishra said.

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