Puri To Commemorate The Two-Day Rath Yatra After 53 Years

The coastal pilgrimage town of Puri is prepared for the annual Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath, which will span two days for the first time in 53 years. Along with numerous devotees, President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to attend the Rath Yatra on Sunday.

The state government has implemented special arrangements for her visit. Officials have indicated that the Odisha government has made extensive preparations to ensure the smooth execution of the festival, traditionally a single-day event.

Certain celestial factors have led to its extension to two days. The last two-day Rath Yatra took place in 1971. In a departure from tradition, some of the rituals involving the three sibling deities, Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra, will be consolidated into a single day on Sunday.

The chariots are currently stationed in front of the Lion’s Gate of the Jagannath temple, and they will later proceed to the Gundicha temple, where they will stay for a week. Devotees will pull the chariots on Sunday afternoon.

This year, the Rath Yatra and related rituals such as ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ and ‘Netra Utsav’ will be consolidated into a single day on Sunday. These rituals typically precede the Rath Yatra.

‘Nabajouban Darshan’ refers to the youthful appearance of the deities, who have been secluded behind closed doors for 15 days as part of the ‘Anasara’ ritual (quarantine), following ‘Snana Purnima’.

According to mythology, the deities become unwell after the extensive bathing ritual of ‘Snana Purnima’ and therefore stay indoors during this period.