Special pujas and rituals were conducted throughout the day on Friday at the Jagannathpur Temple during the Rath Yatra festival. The day’s events began with the Mangal Aarti at 4 AM and concluded with the Shyanam ritual of the deities at 8 PM. Devotees thronged the temple premises to witness the procession of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra, and brother Balabhadra to their aunt’s place (Mausi Badi). The worship of the deities took place according to Vedic rituals amidst a large gathering of devotees. The main priest, Rameswar Padi, mentioned that after the Mangala Aarti, the deities were given a Panchamrit Snan. Darshan of the deities commenced at 5 AM. Religious rituals such as Bhog, Havan, Kirtan, and Aarti continued until 2 PM, after which darshan was closed for the devotees. All the deities were then brought from the main temple for the Rath Yatra, with Sudarshana Chakra Garuda, Lakshmi Narasimha, Balabhadra Swami, Subhadra Mata, and Lord Jagannath Swami being placed on the chariots by 2:30 PM. The deities were then adorned, and devotees performed Shri Laksharchana near the chariots from 3 PM to 4:30 PM. Following this, the Achit Pushpa was offered at the feet of Lord Jagannath Swami, and the Aarti Jagannathashtakam Gita was recited. The chariot was then pulled by devotees, and the procession reached Mausi Badi by 6 PM. From 6 PM to 6:45 PM, special women in sarees offered their darshan, and from 6:46 PM to 7 PM, all deities were brought down from the chariot and entered the Mausi Badi temple. At 8 PM, the Shyanam ritual was completed with 108 Mangal Aartis.
The main priest stated that, as in previous years, all the pujas were performed according to traditional customs. The Mahabhog offered included 56 varieties of dishes, including rice, lentils, vegetables, kheer, laddus, and fruits, among other items.
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