Hundreds of newly wed couples pull the chariots

Puri, Jun 27 (UNI) Hundreds of newly wed couples were seen vying with each other to pull the ropes of the chariots when they started rolling down the great Grand Road.

As per the belief If the newly wed couples pull the chariots of the lord together they get the blessings for a successful happy union.

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx The fire tenders and the water sprinklers had a tough time to spray cold water to the thousands of devotees who were seen braving the high humidity and sultry weather for hours to witness the car festival.

Several devotees fell unconscious and were shifted to hospital by the volunteers. Many foreigners were seen in the yatra offering prayers. Sadhus, religious gurus of various cults were seen participating in the fete along with their disciples.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx The rituals of the lords were performed before the scheduled time and the pulling of the chariots was advanced by nearly one and a half hours.

While the puling time was fixed at 1600 hours it actually began on 1430 hours with Taladhwaja, the chariot of lord Balabhadra rolling down first followed by ''Darpadalan''the rath of Devi Subhadra at 1500 hours and finally the lord of the universe Jagannath went riding his Nandjghosh chariot at 1520 hours.

With plenty of time for sun set all the three chariots are expected to reach the destination Gundicha temple before evening.

xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx The deities on their way to the Gundicha temple tasted the chhena podapitha (Baked cheese cake) prepared by their aunt at the Mousima temple and stop a while at the road side Samadhi of their ardent Muslim devotee Salabaga who composed hundreds of devotional bhajans on the lord.

xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Many prominent persons including Orissa governor Rameswar Thakur, chief minister Naveen Pattnaik, Minister Law Biswabhusan Harichandan and most of the ministers besides the Judges of state high court and two Judges from Supreme Court have witnessed the festival.

xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx The soft drink outlets had a brisk business. Huge free distribution of drinking water bottles and pouches by the NGOs played a vital role in meeting the dehydration of the lakhs of devotes.

The NGOs and the religious bodies of the state offered free meal packets to lakhs of pilgrims during the Rath Yatra. According to an official report "Khichdi'' a special preparation of rice and vegetables blended with coconut flakes, ''Dalma''( a special preparation of Dal and vegetables), vegetable pullow packets, upama-dalma, poori-dalma, poori-aloodum, halua-poori were offered to the devotees at various points in the city.

UNI XC DP PC/SRC1658