Devotees count hours to be part of Rath Yatra in Puri after 2 years

PURI: Chakradhara Pradhan waited for two years to make the trip to Puri. What used to be an annual sojourn during Rath Yatra was spent at home, hoping for Covid to end, travel restrictions lifted and the world to become normal again. "I cannot express my feelings in words. I had never missed Rath Yatra until Covid played spoilsport," said a teary-eyed Pradhan, who has travelled all the way from Koraput. It is the same story everywhere in Puri as devotees wait to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra as they embark on their journey to Gundicha Temple on the occasion of Rath Yatra on Friday.
This year's festival assumes significance given that the last two years it was held amid curbs and curfew owing to the pandemic. The government expects a footfall of nearly 10 lakh devotees. The deities are scheduled to stay at Gundicha Temple till July 8 and proceed towards Jagannath Temple on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra on July 9.
Like the sea, Puri town is heaving with the ebb and flow of devotees as they make a beeline for the Grand Road, where the chariots are parked before Friday's Rath Yatra.
The area around the Jagannath Temple is a riot of colours. With the heritage corridor project opening up more space, more people gathered around the raths, soaking in the festive spirit amid a renewed religious fervour after two years of disappointment owing to the Covid pandemic.
Many devotees said they would spend the night on the Grand Road and the sea beach. "Me and two of my friends reached Puri in the evening. We could not find a hotel as all rooms are booked. We do not mind spending the night on the Grand Road. Darshan of the deities on the chariots matters more than staying in a hotel," said Jagabandhu Swain, a devotee from Dhenkanal.
Buoyed by a pleasant weather, pilgrims in groups and Sankirtan troupes serenaded on the Grand Road and chanted 'Jai Jagannath' to the tunes of cymbals, flutes and drums. The three-km-long Grand Road, on which the three colourful chariots of the sibling deities will roll down on Friday, was a melting pot of communities. "I am excited to catch a glimpse of the deities. Since we (non-Hindus) are not allowed to enter the temple, Rath Yatra is a big occasion for us," said Gurupriya Dasa, an American devotee of International Society For Krishna Consciousness.
It was a new and pleasant experience for many devotees to see the change surrounding the temple owing to the ongoing heritage corridor project.
"The temple's surrounding looks very beautiful. We had been hearing a lot about the heritage project. Due to Covid, we could not see the transformation in the last two years," Chandan Paikaray, a devotee from Angul said.