[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Jul 19, 2015 — JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — The deaths of two women in stampede and a drowning mishap in the sea on the first day of the nine-day Nabakalebara car festival on Saturday failed to dampen the religious fervor in the temple town, as a sea of humanity turned up and tugged the chariots amidst millions of cheers. This was the century's first Nabakalebara Rath Yatra, where new idols of the Deities were created after a gap of 19 years.

The packed Grand Road, where more than 10 lakh pilgrims gathered to pull the chariots from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple (aunt's place of Deities), erupted in joy when Their Lordships became visible to curious pilgrims after being taken from the sanctum sanctorum in a ceremonial procession, called Pahandi. Though it was unbearably humid, the atmosphere reverberated with 'Jai Jagannath' the moment the newly carved Deities were installed on Their bedecked chariots.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

"I was waiting with bated breath to catch glimpse of the new Deities. I was excited when I could hear the musical Pahandi procession inside the temple. That time I could not see the Deities as I stood at a distance on Grand Road. My happiness knew no bounds the moment the Deities were installed on the chariots, giving me a clear visibility," said Mahimananda Mishra, a septuagenarian from Nayagarh.

"It was a blessing to have darshan of the newly carved Deities as I could not participate in 1996 Nabakalebara. I also visited the places where the holy neem trees for construction of idols of the Deities were found. It was a lifetime opportunity for me," said Swagatika Roy, a devotee from Kolkata, who has been camping in Puri since the search for holy timbers started on May 29.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

As devotees could not shift their eyes from the new Deities, ugly scenes continued to prevail in which several priests damaged the traditional headgear (tahiya) of the Deities, like previous years.

This year's car festival assumed significance as Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, who boycotted last year's festival, offered his service on the chariots on Saturday. The seer had not visited the chariots last year as the Jagannath Temple administration prevented his disciples from accompanying him to the chariots. Amid mounting criticism, the temple body invited the seer and six of his disciples this time.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Like last year, the temple administration did not allow common devotees to climb the chariots nor touch the Deities. The restriction came into vogue based on Shankaracharya's recommendation, after which the temple imposed restriction on his disciples last year.

After a set of rituals, including Chhera Pahanra (sweeping of chariot decks) by Puri scion Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, police and devotees started tugging the chariots towards Gundicha Temple amid beating of cymbals and gongs. While Balabhadra's chariot, which was pulled at 3.40 pm, reached Gundicha Temple at 7.25 pm, the other two chariots were halted midway. "As per tradition, we stopped the chariot pulling in evening. It will resume on Sunday morning," said a temple officer.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]