Chariots reach destination ; One million witness rath yatra

Puri, June 27 (UNI) Before the sun sets, the three chariots carrying the three presiding deities of Jagannath Temple reached the Gundicha temple as over one million devotees from different parts of the country witnessed the grand festival of the year.

The three-km-long Grand road from the Lions Gate of Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha temple was almost filled with a sea of devotees, who occupied almost all the places on both the sides of the road to witness the chariots rolling down amid chanting of haribol and jai Jagannath.

Braving the scorching sun the devotees waited for hours both inside and outside the 12th century edifice to have a glimpse of the colourful ''pahandi procession'' of the three presiding deities-Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balavadra and their sister Devi Subhadra.

Scores of dancers led the procession followed by cymbal players, buglers and drummers, who in a concert encouraged the Daita servitors to carry out the strenuous task of bringing out the deities from the ratnasinhasan inside the sanctum sanctorum and install them in their respective chariot.

The chariots began rolling down the Grand Road one after another soon after Puri King Divyasingh Dev came in a decorated palanquin called ''Mehana'' and performed the Chhera Pahanra (cleaning the three chariots with a golden broom) ceremony.

The deities would be taken in the similar pahandi bije to the Gundicha temple tomorrow morning for a nine day sojourn in their aunt's house and return back to their orginal abode on July 5 next through return car festival, popularly known as ''bahuda yatra''.

The authorities had made elaborate security arrangement for the smooth conduct of the festival. Three companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), 62 platoons of OSAP, 9 Additional SPs, 42 DSPs, 120 Inspectors, 500 Sub -Inspectors and 240 other rank policemen besides 900 homeguards and RPF personnel were deployed in the city.

Orissa Governor Rameswar Thakur, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Council of Ministers besides the judges of both Supreme court and Orissa High Court witnessed the festival.

Eds: Here pls pick suitably from earlier series.

UNI DP SJC ARB KN2051