Finance
The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra arrived in Saradha Bali in front of the Gundicha Temple on Friday, as the annual Rath Yatra started on its second day following an overnight halt.
The chariot-pulling resumed in the morning, with thousands of police officers and lakhs of devotees joining forces to pull the three giant wooden chariots down the Grand Road (Bada Danda). Devotional cries of “Jay Jagannath” echoed throughout the pilgrim town as the procession finished the final leg to the Gundicha Temple, roughly 2.6 kilometers from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple.
The yatra remained incomplete on Thursday due to delays in the traditional ‘Pahandi’ procession, which impacted the festival’s timetable. As a result, none of the three chariots made it to their destination before sundown, causing the officials to halt the parade for the day. The goddesses stayed sat on their various chariots all night.
Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot had reached Market Chhak after almost 700 metres, while Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalana chariot had stopped at Marichikote Chhak after approximately 400 metres. Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot had just traveled a short distance from the Shree Jagannath Temple’s Singhadwar (Lion’s Gate) when the procession was called off.
When the yatra resumed on Friday morning, the remaining distance was completed without interruption, and all three chariots were stationed at Saradha Bali in front of the Gundicha Temple.
Arabinda Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), stated that the sibling deities will spend Friday night on their chariots. The ceremonial entry procession into the Gundicha Temple, known as the Adapa Mandap Bije ceremony, is set to take place on Saturday, July 18. The deities will spend several days at the Gundicha Temple before returning to the Shree Jagannath Temple for the Bahuda Yatra.
