Baliguda: At the divine birthplace of Lord Jagannath, the Lord returned today to the sanctified altar (Janmabedi) in Baliguda, accompanied by His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Devi Subhadra, after completing His celestial journey.
In the presence of thousands of devotees, the entire town of Baliguda was filled with spiritual fervor and the resounding sound of bells. Devotion and divinity were united as the deities mounted their respective chariots after the Pahandi procession.
First came Chakradhwaj Sri Sudarshan, followed by Lord Balabhadra, and finally Mahaprabhu Jagannath, who was seated on the Nandighosha Chariot.
As per ritual traditions, Biswaraj Panda, the Khandiya Banadhukari, performed the sacred Chera Pahanra ritual (ceremonial sweeping of the chariot). After this, the four ropes were tied, horses yoked, and the grand chariot pulling began.
From the Gundicha Temple to the main Jagannath Temple, devotees and deities came together on the procession route, with tight security arrangements in place.
Thousands of devotees enthusiastically pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, while only female devotees pulled the chariot of Devi Subhadra.
By evening, all three chariots had reached the front of the Jagannath Temple, where a magnificent Sandhya Arati (evening prayer) was performed amidst the crowd of thousands.
Following the rituals, various cultural and entertainment programs were conducted.
As part of the celebration:
The Patakhanda Market Traders Association of the town distributed Kanika Bhoga (sweet rice).
The BJP Nagar Mandal distributed Boondi sweets.
The Brahmin Samaj served Rasgulla to devotees.
To maintain law and order, stringent patrolling was conducted across the area under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ramendra Prasad, as directed by Police Station Officer Sambit Kumar Swain.
Key members of the Sri Jagannath Temple Trust including T. Srinivas Rao, Madhusudan Das, Lokanath Padhi, along with volunteers from organizations such as Parshuram Bahini, Brahmin Samiti, youth groups, women’s associations, and various NGOs were actively present and contributed to the smooth organization and execution of the event.