After remaining on chariots for two days, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were taken to the Adapa Mandap (pedestal) inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Gundicha Temple on Tuesday. This ritual is known as ‘Adapa Mandap Bije’.
The mandap inside Gundicha temple is known as ‘Adapa Mandap’ or ‘ Janma Bedi’. Thus the ritual gets its name.
The sibling deities embarked on their annual nine-day-long sojourn on July 7 but the chariots were pulled for two days due to the rare convergence of ‘Nabajouban Darshan’, ‘Netra Utsav’ and Rath Yatra falling on the same day. The three chariots reached Gundicha temple on Monday evening.
On Tuesday evening, after the completion of ‘Simhasana Majana’ ritual by Kothasuansia servitors and ‘Sandhya Dhupa’, ‘charamalas’ (ramp made of coconut tree trunks) were fixed. Then, ‘Mudiratha’ or ‘Mudirasta’, who is the representative of Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deba, paid a ceremonial visit to the deities and offered flowers to them. Thereafter the deities were adorned with ‘tahias’ (decorative headgears). Before the ‘Pahandi’ ritual, ‘Mudirasta’ performed certain rituals like ‘Dora Lagi’ and ‘Pushpanjali’.
After the completion of rituals atop the chariots, the ‘Pahandi’ of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna from the Taladhwaja chariot and Lord Madanmohan from the Nandighosa chariot were held. Then, the ‘Pahandi’ of deities were held in order of Lord Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath. They were taken to the ‘Adapa Mandap’ in the ‘Goti Pahandi’ procession.
However, during the ‘Pahandi’ of Lord Balabhadra, an unfortunate mishap took place. While coming down the ‘Charamala’, the deity accidentally slipped. In the mishap, about 12 servitors suffered injuries.
Thousands of devotees witnessed the divine procession and felt blessed.
During this week-long stay of the deities, all the rituals performed in Srimandir will be performed in Gundicha temple. Similarly, like ‘Mahaprasad’ in Srimandir, devotees relish ‘Adapa Abhada’, the special ‘prasad’ prepared in Gundicha temple.
As per Hindu beliefs, a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on the ‘Adapa Mandapa’ will do away with all sins committed in a hundred births.
On the ninth day of their journey, the sibling deities return to their abode which is known as ‘Bahuda Yatra’.