Lord Shri Jagannath's Bahuda (return) yatra concluded on Wednesday in Odisha. On the ninth day of the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath returned to the temple of Puri with elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. During this time, curfew was imposed throughout the city due to the Corona epidemic and the pilgrimage took place in the absence of devotees in the presence of the administration.
On Wednesday, Lord Jagannath, along with his elder brother Balabhadra and his sister Devi Subhadra returned from their aunt's house to the 12th-century temple, during which the administration appealed to people to stay at home and watch the program on TV.
The world-famous Rath Yatra was held on June 23, following the Supreme Court's last-time verdict, with a limited number of attendees of the Supreme Court and observance of social distance for the yatra to take place in Puri. Laid down conditions like
After nine days, the three deities returned to the Sri Jagannath temple on three majestic wooden chariots while traveling to Bahuda from their birthplace Sri Gundicha Temple. Every year during this historic festival, the grand road between Sri Gundicha Temple and the main temple, filled with millions of devotees from India and abroad, remained almost empty this year due to the threat of Corona and government restrictions.
Puri District Collector Balwant Singh said that all the arrangements have been made on the basis of the Supreme Court's order during the conduct of the Rath Yatra. Singh said, 'Devotees were not allowed entry on the Grand Road. All the entry points of the city of Puri were sealed and devotees were requested to stay at home and watch Bahuda Jatra on television itself.
He said that more than 5,500 people, including servants, police personnel, and temple officials, were tested Kovid-19, and only they were allowed to discharge their duties and participate in chariot pulling during the Bahuda Yatra whose corona test Negative came.
More than 70 platoons (each comprising about 33 personnel) were deployed and barricades were also placed at several places to prevent crowd and security arrangements. A senior police officer said that police personnel kept a tight vigil, a large number of CCTV cameras were also installed on 'Bada Danda' to assist them.
Special rituals were performed before the deities were taken out of the Sri Gundicha temple and placed on three colored chariots decorated for the return journey amid chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Hari Bol'. The ritual called 'Pahandi' was played before the deities were taken on a huge wooden chariot and bells and conch shells were played during this time.
Lord Jagannath was placed the largest of the three chariots, 45 feet high 'Nandighosh', Balabhadra in 44 feet high 'Taladhwaj' and Subhadra in 43 feet high 'Darpadan'.
Apart from Puri, a multi-day yatra was also taken out at ISKCON temple in Kolkata, during which Trinamool Congress party MP Nusrat was present there and saw God.