What Caused the Delay in Lord Jagannath's Chariot Pulling? Find Out Here!

Chariot Pulling Delayed at Puri's Rath Yatra

Puri: Devotees of Lord Jagannath will have another opportunity to pull the chariots tomorrow, as none of them reached their intended destination on Friday. The Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra encountered difficulties while making a turn, which led to delays and prevented the other chariots from arriving at the Gundicha Temple, located 2.6 kilometers from the historic shrine.

Odisha's Law Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan, reassured that there were no significant issues, stating, "It is not uncommon for chariots to be pulled the following day. All rituals were performed on schedule, and there were no accidents or incidents."

When Lord Balabhadra's chariot halted at Balagandi Chhak, Devi Subhadra's Darpadalana was stopped at Marichkote in Puri. Meanwhile, Lord Jagannath's Nandighosh chariot was only symbolically pulled as part of the rituals and remains stationed near the main temple.

The Minister elaborated on the delay, noting that favorable weather attracted nearly one and a half times the usual number of devotees. Those who came specifically to pull Lord Jagannath's chariot will have the chance to do so tomorrow.

Chariot pulling was officially suspended for the day at 8 PM, but all rituals were completed as planned.

The Pahandi and chariot pulling commenced on time, but the movement of Lord Balabhadra's chariot caused the delays.

Earlier, dignitaries including Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated in the chariot pulling alongside the devotees.

As the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra began rolling at 4:08 PM, it was followed by Devi Subhadra's Darpadalana and finally Lord Jagannath's Nandighosa, amidst chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Hari Bol', along with the sounds of cymbals, trumpets, and conch shells.

While thousands of devotees pulled the chariots, many more gathered in the seaside temple town to partake in the festivities, with an estimated one million attendees for the annual Rath Yatra.

The chariot pulling began after the titular king of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, performed the Chhera Pahanra ritual, which involves sweeping the chariots.

Wooden horses of various colors were attached to the three chariots before they were pulled by the devotees.

The trinity of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath ascended their respective chariots following a ceremonial 'Pahandi' ritual that lasted over two hours.

During the 'Pahandi', the three wooden idols were transported to the chariots from the 12th-century temple.

Cultural performances by Odissi dancers, folk artists, and musicians from across the state entertained the deities during the Pahandi procession.

The Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with selected disciples, visited the chariots after the deities were placed on them. The 81-year-old seer attended in a wheelchair, as part of the Rath Yatra rituals.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, along with Puri MP Sambit Patra and other officials, witnessed the ceremonial Pahandi, a highlight of the Rath Yatra.

The festival took place under stringent security measures, with around 10,000 personnel from Odisha Police, central armed forces, and NSG deployed.

DGP YB Khurania informed reporters that extensive arrangements were made for the smooth execution of the Rath Yatra, including the installation of over 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras to monitor the crowd.