Bhubaneswar: Sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra — returned to the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple on the occasion of Niladri Bije on Friday, bringing curtains down on Rath Yatra that started on July 7.
According to schedule, Mahajan servitors of the temple took the idols of Rama and Krushna from Taladhwaja chariot and idol of Madan Mohan from Nandighosh chariot into the shrine in a ceremonial Pahandi.Lord Sudarshana, the divine weapon of god Jagannath, was the next to be carried from Devidalana chariot to the temple.
Later, the three deities were taken inside the shrine. “As per tradition, as Lord Jagannath approached Jaya Vijaya door near the sanctum sanctorum, goddess Lakshmi obstructed the god and exhibited her anger. Goddess Laxmi was livid as the sibling deities did not take the goddess with them to Gundicha temple on Rath Yatra,” Jogendra Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor said.
Stranded at the Jagannath temple’s entrance, Jagannath offered Rasagola to goddess Lakshmi to pacify her. Finally, goddess Lakshmi allowed Shree Jagannath to enter the temple.
“From Rath Yatra till Niladri Bije, all rituals were performed smoothly. The credit goes to the servitors,” a senior temple official said.

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