President Droupadi Murmu has approved the installation of the wheels from Puri's Rath Yatra chariots at Rashtrapati Bhavan, marking a significant recognition of Odisha's cultural and spiritual heritage.
The chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings resumed their journey to the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, a day after the annual Rath Yatra festival began, following delays in rituals and adverse weather conditions.
On July 16 begins the Puri Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath. Where else is Lord Jagannath celebrated?
For the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the timing of Rath Yatra is a matter of scriptural injunction rather than convenience.
July 16 will be the biggest and happiest day of the year in Puri, home to the magnificent Jagannath Temple.
The Odisha government has roped in IIT-Bhubaneswar to introduce a queue management system at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, including setting up wooden ramps for a clearer view of the deities, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Tuesday.
One person died and many others fell ill in a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, official sources said.
A controversy has erupted in Odisha after Lord Jagannath's idol was moved from the Puri temple to the chariot during the Rath Yatra without its traditional 'Tahia' floral headgear, leading to strong criticism from opposition parties BJD and Congress against the BJP government.
The Supreme Court has stated that roads cannot be blocked for religious activities and that while religious denominations have autonomy in worship, the government can interfere if secular activities are affected.
The chariot, with the new set of tyres, will carry Lord Jagannath on this year's Rath Yatra which will be held on June 27.
One of the notable celebrations includes the Rath Yatra -- a spectacular procession through the streets with Lord Mahavir's idol on a chariot, with followers accompanying it while chanting hymns and performing prayers.
Five organisers of the event have been arrested while the area sub-inspector of police and a district official suspended in connection with the incident, police said. The annual chariot festival of Lord Siddalingeshwara temple in Ravoor village in Chittapur taluk was organised on Thursday morning for about 15-20 minutes despite the management agreeing not to go ahead with it in view of the lockdown, a police official said.
These traditions have survived centuries, even as India has changed dramatically around them.
The Jagannath temple has fostered Odisha's regional cooking styles and preserved local food traditions.
The 10-day Ganesh festival has begun in Maharashtra, with devotees welcoming Lord Ganesha into their homes and public pandals. The state government has declared the celebrations a state festival for the first time.
The annual car festival in a village in Odisha's Ganjam district turned tragic when an elderly woman and her five-year-old grand daughter died after coming under the rolling wheels of the chariot of Lord Jagannath, the police said on Monday.
As the Bihar assembly results swept in, Patna's Veerchand Patel Marg, the city's political artery, split into two starkly different worlds, with celebrations at the BJP and JD(U) offices and disappointment at the RJD headquarters.
The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri district collector Siddharth S Swain said.
The CM appointed Khurda district collector Chanchal Rana as the new collector of Puri.
Villagers say that the wooden temple chariot, with parts being iron based fitment, was decorated with colourful lights especially on the top, and it came into contact with the overhead electricity line.
Thousands of people had gathered at the rathotsava that saw Lord Chennakeshava, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, being carried out in a chariot after Basha read out the verses from the Islamic scripture.
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More than 600 people have visited hospitals and medical camps in Puri. However, only over 130 have been admitted to hospital, said Director of Health Services, Bijay Mohapatra.
The elaborate rituals, which commenced early in the morning, concluded after the three wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra reached their destination at Gundicha Temple from Sri Mandir well before evening.
Seers from various 'akharas' took the first 'Amrit Snan' at the Maha Kumbh on Makar Sankranti on Tuesday as an unbroken stream of people converged at the Triveni Sangam on the occasion with around 3.5 crore devotees taking a dip.
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The incident happened around 4.30 pm in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival organised by ISKCON, they said. During this festival, the sibling deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhdara and Lord Jagannath -- return to their abode in a chariot, a week after Rath Yatra.
In the backdrop of a terror threat, the world-famous Ratha Yatra festival was celebrated amidst tight security and religious fervour.
Amid tight security, the 137th edition of Lord Jagannath's rathyatra began in Ahmedabad on Sunday morning from the ancient Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area.
The incident happened around 4.30 pm in Kumarghat area during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival of Lord Jagannath organised by ISKCON, they said.
Rama and Sita entered a wonderful maze of lit streets, and when Bharatha caught sight of them as he ran down the steps of the palace, the whole city was chiming with celebration with this festival of lights. A fascinating excerpt from Vayu Naidu's book, The Living Legend.
When the deadly earthquake battered Nepal last week, major temples in Kathmandu' Darbar Square were razed to the ground, but the home of a nine-year-old girl worshipped as a living goddess remained almost unscathed.
Photographer HariPrasad captures the quaint village through his lens.
Around 10 lakh people are expected to gather for the festival in the temple town from across the country, and some foreign nations, director of health service Bijay Mohapatra said.
A month ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, on July 12, the Odisha government on Thursday announced that this year, too, devotees will be barred from participating in the festival, which will only be held in Puri amid strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
Chief Secretary A K Tripathy and Director General of Police (DGP) Abhay rushed to the pilgrim town to make the necessary arrangements. "The DGP and I are rushing to Puri to take stock of the situation as per the direction of the chief minister. We will camp there," Tripathy said.
Samples of 1,143 servitors were tested on Monday night, as per directives of the Supreme Court.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with his disciples, paid obeisance to the idols on their respective chariots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannath's annual car festival.
