Rath Yatra Chariots reach Gundicha Temple, 'Adapa Mandapa Bije' ritual slated for Saturday
Puri, July 18
The three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra reached in front of the Gundicha Temple in Puri on Friday, marking the completion of the chariot procession, while the sacred ritual of 'Adapa Mandapa Bije' is scheduled to be held on Saturday.
The chariot-pulling resumed on Friday after all three chariots could not reach the Gundicha Temple on the first day of the Rath Yatra.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee said, "The chariot-pulling, which started on Thursday, all three chariots could not reach on the first day because the chariots started a bit late. But in view of the security of all the devotees who had gathered, we decided that the chariot pulling would again start on Friday. It is a great incident that lakhs of devotees had already had the darshan of Mahaprabhu on the chariots on the first day."
"When the chariot pulling resumed, lakhs of devotees had the darshan," Padhee added.
Odisha Director General of Police Y B Khurania said lakhs of devotees had gathered in Puri for the darshan and that adequate police arrangements had been made for the occasion.
He urged devotees to follow police advisories and cooperate with the authorities. Khurania also advised elderly devotees, those with health issues and people who find it difficult to walk to assess their physical fitness before undertaking the visit.
Ramakrushana Das Mohapatra, a servitor of the Jagannath Temple, said devotees who were disappointed after the chariots could not complete the journey on the first day were pleased as all three chariots reached their destination on Friday.
The ritual of Adapa Mandapa Bije, during which the deities are ceremonially taken into the Gundicha Temple, will be performed on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, Odisha Additional Director General (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said elaborate security and medical arrangements remained in place as the annual Rath Yatra resumed in Puri, with the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra continuing their journey to the Gundicha Temple after halting overnight on the Grand Road.
— ANI
Reader Comments
God's own festival! But I have one small concern: why do the chariots always get delayed? Every year we hear that they started late or got stuck. The temple administration should better plan the timings so that devotees don't get disappointed on the first day. Otherwise, the spiritual energy in Puri right now must be unmatched. Can't wait to see the 'Adapa Mandapa Bije' ritual tomorrow!
As someone who has participated in the Rath Yatra before, I can tell you that pulling the chariot is a life-changing experience. But I also appreciate the police advisories — it's really important to be physically prepared. The 3 km journey can be exhausting in the summer heat. The administration did well to resume the pull on Friday. Safety first, devotion second.
I'm from Australia and I've always been fascinated by Indian festivals. This Rath Yatra looks absolutely incredible — the scale of it, the devotion of millions of people. It's something we don't have in the West. The fact that they stopped overnight for safety and resumed the next day shows good management. I'd love to witness this in person one day. Amazing culture!
The Rath Yatra is a testimony to our living traditions. But I have to point out that there should be better crowd management. Lakhs of devotees gathered and the chariots couldn't even complete the journey on day one! What about traffic diversions and emergency exits? The servitor Ramakrushana Das said devotees were disappointed — that's avoidable. Hope the Odisha administration learns from this for next year. Still, Jai Jagannath! ❤️
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