Members of the Odia community in Puducherry celebrated the Jagannath Rath Yatra through day-long rituals and cultural programmes at the temple in Gorimedu on Tindivanam Road on Thursday.
Ever since the temple was built in 2007, the samaj has been holding the rath yatra every year on the lines of the famous event in Puri.
The festivities began with mangalarti at 6 a.m., followed by rosha homam, surya puja and dwarapala puja, khechudi bhoga, ratha pratisha and pahandi.
According to the release, the festivities begin 15 days after Snana Purnima. The belief is that the deities catch a cold and fall sick with fever after this snana (bath). During this period of convalescence, the deities are moved to an alternative place and therefore there is no darshan. During the festivities, the deities are taken out from the shrine, amid chanting, playing of percussion instruments and clanging of cymbals, and escorted to a decorated chariot. Devotees, including women and children, shower marigold petals as the deities emerge from the shrine.
On July 12, which marks nine days of secluded convalescence, the deities will be brought back to the main shrine in a ceremonial procession called the Bahuda.
K. Panigrahi and S. Khatua, functionaries of the Puducherry Utkal Samaj Kusa Shaha, were present.