New Delhi: The 44th Bahuda Yatra festival was celebrated at the National Capital Region’s main Jagannath temple in Hauz Khas village in New Delhi amid fanfare and spiritual fervor.
From the wee hours of the morning, all the religious rituals were performed with the greatest solemnity by the priests of the temple. Around 3:30 p.m., the four deities were taken in a Pahandi procession from the aunt’s house in the basement of the temple to the aesthetically and colorfully decorated chariot parked on the Grand Road in front of the temple.
With the recitals of hymns, the shouting of slogans like Hari Bol, Jai Jagannath and the playing of musical instruments like Ghanta, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga, the famous philanthropist and secretary of the temple management committee Shri Neelachal Seva Sangha Rabindra Nath Pradhan led the traditional sweep of the chariot called Chherra Pahanra. After that, amid Kirtan and chanting of Bhajans and Jananas, the chariot was pulled to the Shri Aurobindo Place market in the Shri Jagannath Marg by the devotees and then brought back to the temple premises around evening.
The view of Trinity in majestic style from the Royal Chariot during their stay on the streets of Delhi was momentous and mesmerizing. The deities remained on the float for public viewing until dark. Around 10 p.m., all four deities were taken to the Natyamandap. As informed by the management committee of the temple, the deities will remain at Natyamandap until the date of Niladribije. As today was a public holiday in Delhi and the weather was cloudy and pleasant, around 20,000 spectators gathered at Hauz Khas village to witness the holy festival.
The whole arrangement was well managed and executed smoothly by the core team of temple management committee which includes secretary Rabindra Nath Pradhan and members like Abhaya Pradhan, Ashok Pradhan (A), Khirod Patra , Gajendra Samanta, Abhiram Sutar, Ashok Pradhan (B), Jitendra Mohapatra, Ajay Pradhan, Pankaj Mohanty, Nishidha Kumar Das, Rankanidhi Sahoo, Bijay Sahoo, Bighneshwar Rout, Dillip Kumar Swain, Kishore Samal, Amulya Ojha, Sukanta Sahu and Director of Rashmiranjan Behera temple.
