Rath Yatra News Updates

Rajkishore Nayak’s family has been decorating the three chariots during Rath Yatra with artificial flowers every year. 

As per the tradition, the Bhuyan tribes in Keonjhar have the responsibility to collect ‘Siali’ creepers from various places in the Gandhamardan forest.

The Puri administration opened the outer access road of the Srimandir Heritage Corridor project for the public on Thursday. The administration opened the road ahead of the world-famous Rath Yatra scheduled to begin from June 20.

On Deba Snana Purnima day, which is believed to be the birthday of Lord Jagannath, the deities are taken out in a traditional procession called ‘Pahandi’ from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana bedi or bathing altar, located in the northeast corner of the Bahara Bedha. 

Like us, Lord Jagannath too brushes His teeth and retires for the day after dinner. Hence He too feels the sweltering heat during the summer. To get a respite from the rising mercury, He along with His brother Balabhadra, Bhudevi and Sridevi goes to Narendra Puskarini, a tank, to enjoy boat ride. 

Hera Panchami ritual is observed on the fifth day of the car festival. 

Pahandi is of two types-Dhadi Pahandi and Goti Pahandi. 

The sibling deities of Puri fall sick after bathing with 108 pitchers of specially sanctified water on Devasnana Purnima day, which falls on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of the Jyestha.  

As per tradition, the Holy Trinity falls sick after taking sahasradhara bath with 108 pitchers of water on Devasnana Purnima.  They are then taken to a sick room called Anasara Ghara where they recuperate for a fortnight under the supervision of the royal physicians. 

As only six days are left to the Netra Utsav, which is celebrated after 14 days of the deities’ Anasara period, the Darji servitors are working round the clock to finish the stitching of the canopy coverings of the three chariots.

The annual festival of nine-day sojourn of the sibling deities to their aunt’s place, or Gundicha temple, is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Aashadha. 

Devasnana Purnima falls on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha. On this day, the deities are taken out from the sanctum sanctorum in a traditional procession called ‘Pahandi’ and placed atop the Snana bedi or bathing altar, located in the northeast corner of the Bahara Bedha. 

As per the servitors, there will be a huge rush of devotees around the temple during Rath Jatra, Suna Besha, and Niladri Bije. But considering the half-built project and the debris piled all around, devotees will face a lot of hardships to get a glimpse of the deities during the festivals.

Lord Jagannath along with his sibling deities of Puri Srimandir are suffering from fever after the grand bath on Snana Purnima. The Gods have retreated to a secret chamber called Anasara Ghara where they are recuperating from the sickness with administration of secret rituals.

While the base oil of this ‘Phuluri Tela’ is hand-pressed sesame oil,  24 ingredients including some flowers such as Ketaki, Malli, Boula and Champa and some barks and roots, sandalwood powder, camphor, rice grains are mixed to prepare the special oil.