Puri: The world famous Puri Ratha Jatra will be held on July 4, this year. The Pahandi of the trinity will be held at 9.00 am and Chhera Pahanra, the cleaning of the chariots with golden broom by Gajapati Maharaja will be conducted between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm. The pulling of the chariots will start at 4 pm.
The Chhatisa Nijog meeting chaired by the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, Sunday came out with the schedule of the Ratha Jatra and other ritualsfor the Debasnana Purnima, Ratha Jatra, Bahuda Jatra, Sunabesha and Niladri Bije. A month after Cyclone FANI that ravaged coastal district Puri, the pilgrim city is gearing up for the world famous Ratha Jatra of Lord Jagannath.
While the Ratha Jatra will be held on July 4, the Bahuda Jatra will be commenced on July 12. The Sunabesha of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be conducted on July 13. The pahandi of deities during Niladri Bije will be completed by 4.00 pm on July 15.
The Debasnana Purnima will fall on July 17 and that the Lord Jaganath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will come out of the temple and have holy bath outside the sanctum sanctorum before millions of devotees. The Pahandi rituals of the deities will be held from 4am to 6.30 am. The Gaja Basha and Bahuda Pahandi will be held at 4pm and 10.30 pm respectively.
The schedules of other rituals that are prelude to the grand festival of Ratha Jatra are as follows: Rajendrabhisek( June 12), Rukmini Ekadashi (June 13), Champak Dwadashi(June 14), Chakabije(June 28), Khalilagi Ekadashi( June 29), Rajaprasadbije(June 30), Ghanalagi and Banaklagi(July 1), Nabajauban Darshan and Netrautsav(July 2), and Ratha Agyanmalabije( July 3). The schedule of other rituals that would follow the Ratha Yatra are Herapanchami( July 8), Ratha Dakshinmoda( July 9), Sandhya Darshan( July 11 ) Bahuda Jatra (July 12). The Pahandi for the Bahuda Jatra will be held between 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm and the chariots will be pulled at 4.00 pm on July 12.
