The return of the Holy Trinity after spending seven days at the Gundicha Temple is known as Bahuda Yatra.
It is an important part of the Rath Yatra and is the reverse process of the world famous festival. There are many rituals involved in Bahuda Jatra. Mangal Aarti takes place around 4 in the morning as the first ritual. After that the priest begins to suffer and does fasting home.
Both the rituals take about 30 minutes to complete and are followed by the worship of Abkash and the Sun God. Before the yatra begins, the priests worship the gatekeepers of Lord Jagannath, known as the Dwarapal Puja. This is followed by Gopal Ballav and Sakal Dhoop which lasts for about an hour. After that, the Senapatlagi ritual is performed.
The deities are then brought from the Gundicha temple to the Pahandi (a special procession) through the ‘Nakachana Dwar’, amidst the sound of cymbals and clocks and the sound of conch shells. The deities are carried in the same chariots—Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana—in which they arrived.
After a special ritual called Chhera Panhara performed by the Puri king, the chariots are pulled back by the devotees to the main shrine-Srimandir. Odissi and Gotipua dancers perform in front of the chariots to the tune of devotional music. Similarly, martial artists perform the traditional martial art ‘Banti’ in front of the deities.
It is considered auspicious to get a glimpse of the deities on their chariots. The return journey of Lord Jagannath (Bahuda Jatra) follows the same protocol and schedule as found during the Rath Yatra.
During the return journey, the three chariots stop for a while at the Mausima temple, also known as the Ardhasani temple. This temple is dedicated to the aunt of Lord Jagannath. On the day of their return from Gundicha temple, three deities are offered ‘Poda Peeth’ (a special sweet made of rice, coconut, lentils and jaggery) and after that, they begin their journey.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh newswatch top videos And live TV Here.