Bhubaneswar, April 20 (IANS) The preparations for the famous annual Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra formally commenced on Monday with the sacred chariot construction rituals ‘Ratha Katha Anukula Puja’ held in Puri on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.​

Speaking to media persons, Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said that the first phase of this year’s Rath Yatra began today with the commencement of chariot construction.

He informed that all the traditional rituals linked to chariot construction, or ‘Ratha Katha Anukula Puja’, were held smoothly on Monday.​

After the ceremonial puja, the Vishwakarma Maharana servitors began the traditional process of chariot construction by tying a sacred cloth to the logs, followed by the symbolic cutting of wood with a golden axe, an age-old ritual.​

The Chandan Yatra or Sandalwood Yatra of the holy triad commenced in the sacred town on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on Monday. The 21-day-long summer festival of the deities of the famous Jagannath Temple is celebrated with much religious zeal and passion at Puri. ​

Each day during the festival, the representative idols of the deities, Madanmohan, Rama, Krishna, Bhudevi, Shreedevi, and five Shivas (known as Panch Pandavas) are ceremoniously brought out in a grand procession and taken to Narendra Tank located near the Jagannath Temple, where they are placed on richly adorned boats.​

These boats are then gently rowed across the water amid a vibrant atmosphere filled with traditional music and dance performances. In addition to Puri, this festival is also widely celebrated in other religious places across the state, reflecting its cultural significance across Odisha.​

SJTA Chief Administrator Padhee also expressed hope that the Chandan Yatra and the Ratha Yatra festival would be held smoothly this year, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and the holy siblings.

–IANS

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