Echoes of conch shells, rhythmic chants, and cultural exuberance enveloped Puri on Saturday as the Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra to the Jagannath Temple, unfolded amid a surge of devotion and celebration.
The return procession marks the culmination of the Rath Yatra, drawing lakhs of devotees from across the country. The deities, who were taken to Shri Gundicha Temple, regarded as the maternal aunt’s home, returned to their main abode in a ceremonious procession marked by devotion, music, and symbolism.
“This is Lord Jagannath's Bahuda Yatra. He will return to his abode from his aunt's residence. His aunt will feed him with ‘poda pitha’ and give him love, after which the return journey will begin,” said Vikas Kumar Mohapatra Swain, a devotee, capturing the affectionate imagery that devotees associate with the festival.
Artists adorned in traditional attire lined the roads, dancing to the beat of dhols and cymbals. Among them was Aparna Panda, a cultural performer, who said, “Last time, I dressed up as Jagannath and my elder sister dressed up as ‘devadasi’... I was happy to bring my culture and celebrations to the world via the internet. We want to promote our culture, and this is the biggest platform for that... Nothing is possible without the blessings of Lord Jagannath.”
For many, the Rath Yatra remains a deeply spiritual moment. “His blessings on his devotees are immense. He comes out of his temple every year to give darshan and bless his devotees,” said another pilgrim.
The Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik extended greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion.
"Greetings to all on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra. By the Grace of the Lord, everyone's life be filled with happiness, peace, and prosperity," wrote Odisha CM in a post on X.
Also read: Crowds flock to Puri temple a day after stampede kills three
However, the grandeur was overshadowed by sharp political criticism in the wake of the June 29 stampede, which claimed three lives and injured several others during the forward leg of the Rath Yatra.
Lenin Mohanty, a leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), lashed out at the Odisha government, calling it “administrative lapse and callousness” and demanding the resignation of State Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
“We are extremely sad for the incident that has happened. This is the land of Lord Jagannath, and people love to come to that place. During the annual rath yatra, a stampede took place on Sunday due to administrative lapse and callousness,” Mohanty said.
“A team of five ministers was constituted. They were not there when the stampede took place, nor were the officials. An apology is not sufficient. Immediately after that, the real culprit should be punished. They just transferred the collector and DSP,” he added.
Calling for accountability, Mohanty said, “The real culprit is the law minister (Prithviraj Harichandan). He always boasts high but has very low performance. He should take moral responsibility and he should resign.”
Despite the political storm, devotees in Puri held fast to the spiritual essence of Bahuda Yatra, greeting the returning deities with chants of “Jai Jagannath”, as the city soaked once again in the colours of faith.
The following is a report on the Bahuda Yatra by Akashvani.
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