June 21st 2024.
In the Sri Jagannath temple, a grand ceremony will take place on Saturday at around 1 am. This is known as the Pahandi and it involves the ceremonial procession of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and their sister Devi Subhadra. The deities will be taken from the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Vedi, where they will receive a holy bath on the auspicious day of Snana Purnima.
As per the traditions of the temple, the Daita servitors took over the responsibilities from the regular priests on Wednesday night. This marked the beginning of the festivities, with the Mangalarpan ritual starting and being completed by 4 am. The Daita servitors will now be in charge of the Rath Yatra festival until its end, known as Niladri bije.
In preparation for the Pahandi, a special group of servitors called Suansia laid out the Charamara, a beautiful canopy, on the Ratna simhasana. This was done to facilitate the smooth procession of the deities. The Daita servitors then entered the temple and crafted "Senapatta" and "Bahutakanta" armours to protect the deities during the Pahandi.
The temple was closed for Darshan until 3 pm on Friday, as the Chhenapatta lagi ritual was being completed. After this, the ceremonial Pahandi of the deities began at midnight. The procession was led by temple musicians playing traditional instruments like cymbals, trumpets, drums, Ghantaa, and mrudang. The Pahandi is expected to be completed by 4 am, as per the schedule.
The deities were then placed on the Snan Vedi, a raised platform on the east side of the outer complex of the temple. It offers a beautiful view of the Badadanda. The day's rituals will start on Saturday with Mangala arati, followed by Mailum, Tadaplagi, Abakas, Surya Puja, Rosahoma, and the offering of Gopal bhog. At 7.30 am, the priests will perform a special ritual of offering 108 pitchers of aromatic water baths to the deities, which will be completed by 9.30 am.
After the bath, the deities will be adorned with new clothes and the Gajapati King or his designated servitor will perform Chherapahanra, a ritual where the deities are symbolically fed with special food. This will be completed by 10.30 am. The deities will then be dressed in elephant attire, known as "Hati Vesha," by three sets of servitors. This process will take place from 11 am to 12 pm.
The temple administration has decorated the altar with colorful flowers, adding to the festive atmosphere. The Hati Vesha will be removed late at night and the deities will be taken to the Anasara ghara, a special chamber in the temple. Here, they will rest for two weeks, supposedly suffering from a fever. The temple Vaidya will treat them with herbal medicines and they will be on a strict diet of dry food and fruits.
The deities will reappear a day before the Rath Yatra, in a ceremony called Nabajouban Darshan. The preparations for this grand festival are being looked after by the Temple Chief Administrator Vir Vikram Yadav, District Magistrate Sidharth Shankar Swain, and Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra. To ensure smooth functioning and crowd control, about 68 platoons of police personnel have been deployed on Badadanda and in the town.
In conclusion, the Pahandi is a significant and highly anticipated event in the Sri Jagannath temple. Pilgrims from all over the country come to witness this grand procession and participate in the festivities. The temple administration, along with the local authorities, are working tirelessly to make this event a success.
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