Lakhs Throng Puri for Sunabesa

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Jul 03, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — Puri was packed tight as a sea of humanity turned up to watch the trinity Deities-Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra don glittering gold jewelries aboard their respective chariots on the grand occasion of Sunabesa at Puri on Friday.

According to temple officials, more than 10 lakh devotees turned up on Sunabesa. The darshan of the devotees started from 5 pm onwards. “The darshan would continue till 11.00 pm,” Jagannath Temple Public Relation Officer (PRO) Laxmidhar Pujapanda said.

Pilgrims were allowed near the chariots in queue. “We arranged barricades and queue system for smooth flow of pilgrims,” a district police official said. Security was increased around the chariots to avoid any untoward incident.

The servitors fetched the gold ornaments from the shrine’s Bhandar Ghar according to schedule. The Daitapati and Puspalaka servitors were assigned to decorate the Deities with the dazzling gold ornaments.

Buoyed by the clement weather, pilgrims started making a beeline for the front of the Jagannath Temple, beginning in the afternoon. “It is a rare moment to watch the Sunabesa. How can I think of missing it? I came all the way from Bhadrak,” a devotee said.

Meanwhile, the presiding sibling Deities of Jagannath Temple will enter the sanctum sanctorum on Sunday. The occasion is called Niladri Bije of the Deities. Their Lordships will be offered Adhar Pana aboard Their chariots on Saturday.

The chariots of the Deities were pulled back to the Jagannath Temple on Bahuda Yatra (homecoming or return Car festival) on Thursday.

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