Bahuda yatra at Angul peaceful,three chariots reached "Saila Sri Kshetra"

Angul: Thousands of devotees on Monday thronged Angul to witness Bahuda Yatra.Amid the beating of gongs, cymbals, blowing of conch shells and 'Hari Bol' chantings, the deities were brought out of the Maausi Ma temple and taken in chariots thorough a procession 'Pahandi.'

As the wheels of three deities rolled down from Mausi Ma Angul road with thousands of devotees chanting of Jai Jaganatha slogan pulled the chariots of Lord Jaganatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra.

After performance of 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping the chariots) the devotees, pulled the chariots of the deities.

Women pulled the goddess Subhadra's chariot only here while other two chariots of Lord Jaganath and Balabhadra were pulled by male persons.

Bahuda yatra was also held at Jindal Nagar and thousands of devotees  celebrated the Bahuda Yatra festival at Devbhoomi. Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing Kurukshetra Constituency and Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) with wife  Smt. Shallu Jindal the Chairperson of JSP Foundation  participated in the Bahuda Yatra.

Both the Bahuda Yatra and Ratha Yatra in Angul is very age old and rich in its culture. Towards the middle part of the tenth century, then Gajapati Maharaja of Puri transferred his power over Angul into the hands of king of Kadamba dynasty of kasyapa clan.

The three deities were being worshipped since then here and , later on towards the end of the seventh century a temple for the deities was built and the auspicious car festival was being organized at Purunagarh.

The last king of Kadamba dynasty Somantha Singh Jagadev shifted his headquarter to the foot hill of Suna Sagada in Angul in1891 AD and the three deities were being worshipped as ‘Parswa Devata’(nearest to Lord Madan Mohan) at Madan Mohan temple. The car festival was also being organized every year since then.

After a new temple was built on the foot hill of Suna Sagada  of Angul was named the place as 'Saila Sri Kshetra'. In the year 2002 February, 22 ,idols of Lord Jaganatha,Balabhadra and goddess were installed in the sanctum sanctorum and car festival have been organized in a big way now.The Ratha Yatra has become a mega festival now.

 The bahuda Yatra festival of Lord Jaganatha,Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra went peacefully in Angul district.