Hundreds take part in Rukuna Rath Yatra of Lingaraj | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of devotees participated in Lord Lingaraj‘s annual car festival, Rukuna Rath, here on Saturday.
Though the chariot pulling was scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm, it started two hours later around 5.30 pm. The chariot managed to cover just 150 metres — up to the Papanashini tank — though it was supposed to reach the Gundicha Temple at Rameswar, 2.5 km away. Pulling of the chariot will now resume on Sunday afternoon.
Many devotees expressed resentment over the mismanagement and poor execution of plans despite earlier coordination meetings. “It was decided that only a limited number of servitors would accompany the deity on the chariot, but a large number of priests were present, making it difficult for us to even get a glimpse of Lord Lingaraj. It also hampered smooth pulling of the chariot,” said Ratnakar Rath, a resident of Old Town.
The delay triggered a blame game between the priests and temple administration. While priests held the administration responsible for not monitoring timings, the administration blamed the servitors for starting rituals late. “Only holding preparatory meetings isn’t enough. There should be proper implementation. The govt has been neglecting Rukuna Rath Yatra,” said Kamalakanta Badu, a senior priest and secretary of the Badu Nijog.
Rudra Narayan Mohanty, chief executive officer of the Lingaraj temple administration, said, “The rituals started late despite assurances from the servitors to complete them on time. This caused a domino effect, delaying the entire schedule.”
The chariot of Lord Lingaraj does not take a turn, so it is called ‘analeuta’. Rather, the altar of the deity is turned around and pulled from the back side. The holy water of Marichi Kunda was auctioned among women on Friday night, priests said.
Despite the delays, the spirit of the devotees remained undeterred, as many are expected to return on Sunday to witness the completion of the chariot’s journey. “We eagerly wait for a year to participate in Rukuna Rath Yatra, which is a unique festival of Lord Lingaraj. I will come to pull the chariot on Sunday,” said Tarunkanti Panda, a resident of Sundarpada area.
Though the chariot pulling was scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm, it started two hours later around 5.30 pm. The chariot managed to cover just 150 metres — up to the Papanashini tank — though it was supposed to reach the Gundicha Temple at Rameswar, 2.5 km away. Pulling of the chariot will now resume on Sunday afternoon.
Many devotees expressed resentment over the mismanagement and poor execution of plans despite earlier coordination meetings. “It was decided that only a limited number of servitors would accompany the deity on the chariot, but a large number of priests were present, making it difficult for us to even get a glimpse of Lord Lingaraj. It also hampered smooth pulling of the chariot,” said Ratnakar Rath, a resident of Old Town.
The delay triggered a blame game between the priests and temple administration. While priests held the administration responsible for not monitoring timings, the administration blamed the servitors for starting rituals late. “Only holding preparatory meetings isn’t enough. There should be proper implementation. The govt has been neglecting Rukuna Rath Yatra,” said Kamalakanta Badu, a senior priest and secretary of the Badu Nijog.
Rudra Narayan Mohanty, chief executive officer of the Lingaraj temple administration, said, “The rituals started late despite assurances from the servitors to complete them on time. This caused a domino effect, delaying the entire schedule.”
The chariot of Lord Lingaraj does not take a turn, so it is called ‘analeuta’. Rather, the altar of the deity is turned around and pulled from the back side. The holy water of Marichi Kunda was auctioned among women on Friday night, priests said.
Despite the delays, the spirit of the devotees remained undeterred, as many are expected to return on Sunday to witness the completion of the chariot’s journey. “We eagerly wait for a year to participate in Rukuna Rath Yatra, which is a unique festival of Lord Lingaraj. I will come to pull the chariot on Sunday,” said Tarunkanti Panda, a resident of Sundarpada area.
