Watch Rath Yatra live

Svarupa · July 4, 2008

Stage Set for Rath Yatra

BY: DEBABRATA MOHAPATRA

Three well decorated chariots kept in front of the Jagannath temple

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Jul 03, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — All arrangements reached the final stage on Thursday, as Puri is all set to observe Rath Yatra on Friday. The millennia-old annual festival is considered one of the world's longest surviving public celebrations. Even though a host of places on the earth observe the annual festivity with equal elan, Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra at Puri is still billed as a show stealer.

More than 8 lakh pilgrims from across the country and abroad are likely to set their feet on the hallowed city to have a glimpse of the presiding Deities-Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra-being pulled along the Grand Road on three colorful wooden chariots, festooned with flowers, appliqué and mural paintings.

The pulling of the chariots is scheduled to start at 4 pm, where the triad Deities will go on a nine-day sojourn to Gundicha temple (believed to be the birthplace of Jagannath), about 3 kilometers from the 12th century shrine. Earlier, amidst a pompous procession, which will start at around 9.30 am, the Deities will be brought from the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine to the chariots.

Internationally acclaimed sand artist, Sudarsan Pattnaik

created a Jagannath image and miniature chariot on Puri beach

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Seventy platoons police force has been deployed in the hallowed city. The force includes 15 platoons of anti-Naxal squads, which have been pressed into service in of the light of Red rampage in Malkangiri district on Sunday. This apart, special bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, rapid action force (RAF), sharp shooters and quick reaction teams (QRT) have been stationed all over the city and its outskirts.

"All arrangements have been made to the tee. For the first time, more numbers of anti-Naxal commandos will guard the temple and pilgrims. Close circuit cameras have been installed at major points along the Grand Road. Hotels have been kept on alert and periodical checks to suspicious visitors are going on," said Rajat Kanti Mishra, the additional superintendent of police (ASP), Puri.

The district administration has set up temporary information centers at different places to guide the newcomers to Puri. For the first time a city-based voluntary organization, Barefoot, in association with Lakshya Solutions has flouted a helpline through which pilgrims can get information related to Rath Yatra by dialing a phone number -- 067466136666 (not toll free). Devotees also can watch Rath Yatra live by browsing the following three websites:

<CENTER>www.jagannath.nic.in

http://www.rathjatra.nic.in

www.orissagov.nic.in</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER>

Meanwhile, the stalemate continues over the Lord's 'homecoming' at sunset on Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of the Lord to his abode at Jagannath Temple on July 12th.

The priests have threatened to boycott the Lord's homecoming ritual in protest against the shrine administration's decision to pull the chariots under floodlights. "We will pacify the priests before Bahuda Yatra," averred Puri collector Rashmi Ranjan Patnaik. <CENTER></CENTER>

suchandra · July 5, 2008

‘CM should apologise for Puri mishap’

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=211744

BHUBANESWAR, July 4: Leader of the Opposition Mr JB Patnaik condoled the death of the six persons, who lost their lives during the stampede, when Goddess Subhadra was being taken to the chariot in Puri today.

Coming down heavily on the state government for the mishap, Mr Patnaik said that such a tragedy had never happened in any of the Rath Yatras in the past.

JB Patnaik

Criticising the hype over the ‘unprecedented’ security arrangements, he questioned how a barricade could give way with no police guarding over it. "How can such a lapse take place, while there were more policemen and more barricades than the previous occasions," he questioned. “This is nothing but the ineptitude of a callous administration”, he rued adding “the chief minister should feel ashamed and apologise to the people of India for the failure of the administration”. “A routine announcement of compensation for the families of those, who lost their near and dear ones is not enough or a routine enquiry would hardly serve any purpose, when the failure of the administration was as apparent as daylight" the former CM said. n sns

suchandra · July 12, 2008

Act Against Our Rich Tradition

posted by DEBABRATA MOHAPATRA

Jul 11, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA 2008 — The district officials and Jagannath Temple authorities failed to make a resolution as to whether the chariots will be pulled after sunset on Saturday, the occasion of Bahuda Yatra. The presiding Deities of Jagannath Temple on that day will return to the 12th century shrine's sanctum sanctorum from Gundicha temple amid boisterous procession, akin to Rath Yatra.

Earlier, in protest against the Jagannath Temple administration's decision to pull the chariots under floodlights, the temple priests last week had threatened to boycott the pulling of the wooden cars after sundown, an act they feel would be anti-religious.

"Even though the priests had demanded to revoke the decision of using artificial lights for chariot pulling, we could not take any decision in their favour. It has already been decided that the chariots will be pulled after sunset. I don't think, there will be any change in the schedule on Saturday," said Binod Behari Mohanty, the temple's administrator in-charge of rituals.

"However, we will try our best to start the chariot pulling as quickly as possible in the morning so that all the chariots reach in front of Jagannath Temple before sunset. The Deities will traverse nearly 3 km on Grand Road to reach Jagannath Temple," Mohanty said.

"We are in haste because the Lord Jagannath's suna vesha (a major ritual conducted after the end of Rath Yatra every year) falls on July 13, the very next day of Bahuda Yatra. But, things were not the same in the past years where suna vesha (in which the Deities don gold jewelries) used to fall nearly two days after Bahuda Yatra. However, as per the temple almanac it fell pretty earlier this year," Mohanty said.

"Since suna vesha falls on the very next day of Bahuda Yatra, we were forced to take this decision of pulling back the chariots up to Jagannath Temple. A lot of exercise needs to be done for the smooth conduct of suna vesha. And for that, all the chariots must reach in front of the temple by the night on July 12," said Rashmi Ranjan Patnaik, the Puri District Collector and also Deputy Chief Administrator of Jagannath Temple.

"We will not budge before the administration's decision. How can the temple administration violate the age-old tradition by allowing us to pull the chariots under floodlights? This is an act against our rich tradition.

We will go on strike if the officials force us to pull chariot after sunset," said Jagannath Swain Dasmohapatra, the chief priest of Lord Jagannath.