Puri celebrates Bahuda Yatra as Deities return to Jagannath Temple amid festive fervour

This marks the culmination of the annual Rath Yatra festival, drawing lakhs of devotees to the sacred city. The streets of Puri buzz with vibrant performances as artists and devotees celebrate the occasion.

Among them is Aparna Panda, a performer who believes the festival is not just a religious occasion but a powerful platform to showcase Odisha's cultural richness.

"Last time, I dressed up as Jagannath and my elder sister dressed up as 'devadasi'... I was happy to bring my culture and celebrations to the world via the internet. We want to promote our culture, and this is the biggest platform for that... Nothing is possible without the blessings of Lord Jagannath," Panda said.

A devotee, Vikas Kumar Mohapatra Swain, said, "This is Lord Jagannath's Bahuda yatra, he will return to his abode from his aunt's residence. His aunt will feed him with 'poda pitha' and give him love, after which the return journey will begin..."

Another devotee said that he comes annually "with the blessings of Jagannath Mahaprabhu."

He said, "His blessings on his devotees are immense. He comes out of his temple every year to give darshan and bless his devotees."

Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Lenin Mohanty on Monday lashed out at the "administrative lapse and callousness" of the concerned authorities, which led to the stampede during the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra a day earlier on June 29 and demanded the resignation of State Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.

The BJD leader said that the officials and ministers concerned with the law and order situation during the Rath Yatra were absent during the stampede.

Speaking to ANI, Mohanty said, "We are extremely sad for the incident that has happened. This is the land of Lord Jagannath, and people love to come to that place. During the annual rath yatra, a stampede took place on Sunday due to administrative lapse and callousness."

"A team of 5 ministers was constituted. They were not there when the stampede took place, nor were the officials. When the stampede happened, these five ministers and the top-level officers were not there. An apology is not sufficient. Immediately after that, the real culprit should be punished. They just transferred the collector and DSP," he said.

Adding further, he said, "The real culprit is the law minister (Prithviraj Harichandan). He always boasts high but has very low performance. He should take moral responsibility and he should resign..."

On June 29, three devotees lost their lives, and several others were injured during the crowd surge at the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri.