Kotpad: The Rath Yatra or Sri Gundicha Yatra of Lord Jagannath and His siblings was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony in Kotpad. From villages to towns, the entire region was immersed in festive fervor. At the Jagannath Temple in Kotpad, all traditional rituals including Mangala Arati, Avakash, Sakala Dhupa, and Khichdi Bhog were performed. Afterward, the servitors and temple priests beautifully adorned the deities and carried them in the Pahandi procession from the temple to the chariot.
At around 4 PM, a ritual puja was conducted in the presence of local Tahsildar Trinankal Sethi and her family. Notably, for the first time in Kotpad, the Chhera Pahanra ritual (sweeping of the chariot platform) was performed by a female Tahsildar, Trinankal Sethi, who expressed her honor in receiving this rare privilege. After the deities were placed on the chariot and darshan was given to devotees, the Rath pulling began at 5 PM.
The rituals and overall coordination were led by the temple priest Shishir Sadangi, Rajendra Adhikari, and the entire team of Devasthan department staff. Thousands of devotees joined the celebration, including:
Kotpad MLA Rup Bhitara
Kotpad Block Zilla Parishad President M. Shankar Rao
Former MLA Padmini Dian
Former MLA Chandrashekhar Majhi
Congress MLA Candidate Anamu Dian
Devasthan Committee Chairman Manahoi Bishoi and members
Members of the Kotpad Bharat Media Association
The entire event was conducted peacefully and in an organized manner. To ensure safety, four police battalions were deployed along with fire services and health department teams. Traffic management and public safety were strictly enforced.
The Rath reached Mausi Maa Temple at 7 PM, concluding the day’s journey. On the following day at 8 AM, the Chaturthamurti deities were ceremoniously taken into the Mausi Maa Temple. On this day, Lord Jagannath appears to devotees in His Matsya (fish) and Kurma (tortoise) avatars, marking the beginning of His divine incarnations.
With the successful and peaceful conclusion of this year’s Rath Yatra, the administration expressed gratitude to all participants and supporters.