BHUBANESWAR: Amid holy chants and Vedic hymns by devotees, the Sagadi (cart) carrying Mahadaru of Lord Jagannath resumed its journey from Cuttack towards Puri on Sunday evening. NH-5 was chock-a-block as lakhs of devotees thronged the road to catch a glimpse of the holy neem tree trunk fastened to the Sagadi.
The eight km distance between Pahal and Pandra Square presented an electrifying atmosphere amidst playing of cymbals and beating of drums as devotees from all around the Capital turned up in large number to pay obeisance to the Daru of Lord Jagannath.
The Sagadi stood ornate with several hundred traditional oil lamps, flowers and offerings by the devotees. Many were dancing in ecstasy and shouting ‘Haribol’ and ‘Jai Jagannath’ as the atmosphere was filled with religious fervour.
The Banajagis left Pahal at 10.30 pm and reached Pandra Square on the Puri by-pass road midnight and camped at an ashram in the Jagannath temple here.
Puri by-pass was barricaded and traffic from NH-5 was restricted to the route to avoid congestion. Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma oversaw law and order situation, traffic movement security setup and instructed police personnel to ensure smooth and hassle free darshan at the site.
As per the tentative schedule, the Banajgis would halt at Sai Temple on Tankapani road on Monday and then head towards Hanuman temple in Pipili. “We have planned to make it to Koili Baikuntha (Puri) by Wednesday night,” Viswavasu of the Banajga team, Binayak Das Mahapatra said.
Prasanta Patnaik