The Jagannathpur Temple in Ranchi witnessed a day of elaborate religious observances on Friday as part of the Rath Yatra festivities. The day’s activities started with the Mangal Aarti at 4 AM, marking the beginning of a series of special pujas and concluding with the Shyanam of the deities at 8 PM. The temple was filled with a devotional atmosphere as devotees gathered to celebrate the journey of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra, and brother Balabhadra to Mausi Badi. The worship was performed according to Vedic traditions, with a large crowd of devotees in attendance.
Main Priest Rameswar Padi detailed the day’s schedule, which included the Mangal Aarti at 4 AM, followed by the Panchamrit Snan for the deities. Darshan of the deities began at 5 AM, and various religious rituals, such as Bhog, Havan, Kirtan, and Aarti, continued until 2 PM. The deities were then moved to the chariots in preparation for the Rath Yatra. Sudarshana Chakra Garuda, Lakshmi Narasimha, Balabhadra Swami, Subhadra Mata, and Lord Jagannath Swami were placed on the chariots by 2:30 PM. Following the placement, the deities were adorned. From 3 PM to 4:30 PM, devotees performed Shri Laksharchana near the chariots. After this, the Achit Pushpa was offered to the feet of Lord Jagannath Swami, and the Aarti Jagannathashtakam Gita was recited. The chariot pulling commenced, reaching Mausi Badi by 6 PM. Special women in sarees offered their darshan from 6 PM to 6:45 PM, after which the deities entered the Mausi Badi temple. The Shyanam ritual, concluded with 108 Mangal Aartis, took place at 8 PM.
The main priest highlighted that the pujas were carried out according to traditional practices, similar to previous years. The Mahabhog included 56 different food items, such as rice, lentils, vegetables, kheer, laddus, and fruits.