Historic Nabakalebara Rath Yatra 2015 begins with Religious Fervor

By Hemanta Pande: The most awaited festival of 21st century’s first Nabalalebara Rath Yatra begins today at the holy town of Puri in Odisha with religious fervor and sacred enthusiasm among millions of devotees across the world. The mega festival marks the annual journey of the three deities – Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra along with the celestial wheel Sudarshana from the Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple, some three kilometers away to the north. After a stay for seven days, the deities will return to Sri Mandira on Bahuda Yatra or Return Car Festival, which falls on 26th July.

The Rath Yata is also known as Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra, Car festival and other names as well. It falls on Ashad Shukla Pakshya Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashad month) usually in the month of June or July. The three chariots, resembling temple structures, are the highlights of the entire Yatra. They are pulled by the servitors and devotes through strings on the Grand Road of Puri, called Badadanda. The chariot of Lord Jagannath which is 45.6 feet high comprises 18 wheels and is called as  Nandighosa while Balabhadra’s chariot is made 45 feet high with 16 wheels is known as Taladhvaja. The chariot of Subhadra known as Devadalana has 14 wheels and is 44.6 feet high. All these chariots are decorated with various designs and colors by the artists of Odisha, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the state.

Puri Gobardhan Peeth Shankaracharya Nischilanand Saraswati will attend the Rath Yatra with 6 of his disciples. The most important ritual of the day ‘Chhera Pahanra’, sweeping all around the deities and chariots with a gold-handled broom and sprinkling of holy water with sandal, is performed  by Puri Gajapati Dibya Singh Deb before the chariot journey of the deities.

A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious. Since ages, the   saints, sheers, writers, poets and scriptures have time and again glorified the sanctity of this Hindu festival. Every devotee, including Non-Hindus, will have the full opportunity to connect with Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbadhra and Goddess Subhadra during this wold famous yatra. However, Orissa High Court has ordered that no one except the servitors would be allowed to come up the chariots for the darshan of the deities during Rath Yatra.

More importantly, this year’s Rath Yatra draws more significance due to the Nabakalebara celebration of three deities, which is being celebrated after a gap of 19 years. On Nabakalebara, the old bodies of the deities at Puri temple have been replaced by the new ones made of Neem wood logs. Sadly, the Nabakalebara festival has invited huge criticism from different quarters for the gross violation of age old sacred rituals, particularly during Brahma parivartan.

Meanwhile state government has deployed four senior Ministers and numerous bureaucrats at Puri to supervise the mega festival. Tight security has been put in place in and outside of the city for a trouble- free Rath Yatra. As many as 9,000 State police personnel along with thousands of paramilitary forces, NDRF and others security personnel  were deployed in this regard. Besides, CCtvs were also installed at different parts of the town to keep a close vigil on the tourists’ movement.

The government has also offered tourist information services, medical services and other essential for the devotees.

Since almost all hotel rooms of Puri town were booked well in advance, hundreds of temporary accommodate facilities were set up in and around the town by the state government, East Coast Railways and several NGOs to serve the incoming devotees.

Similarly, numbers of parking spaces have been created at various locations outside the main town for the vehicles carrying devotees, while special parking lots have been made for the dignitaries and special invitees.

The East Coast Railways (ECoR) has lunched special trains on the occasion of Nabakalebara Rath Yatra for the benefit of the pilgrims. In addition, the state government has arranged free bus services from newly made bus stand at Malatipatpur, an outskirt of Puri town.

The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has declared to provide Rs 5 lakh as insurance cover to all the devotees and servitors of the temple, in case of loss life within the administrative area of Puri Municipality, during the festival, between the periods of July 17 to July 30.

It is expected that around 50 lakh footfall would occur during the nine days long festival. Apart from Indian devotees many foreigners have thronged to Puri  to witness this Nabakalebara Rath Yatra. Governor SC Jamir, CM Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, state Ministers and many other VVIPS are all set to witness the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra today.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Dr. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted the nation on the occasion of Nabakalebara Rath Yatra.

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