Visakhapatnam: Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, a premier socio-cultural organization for Odias in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, celebrated Ratha Yatra this evening with religious fervour and gaiety on the day coinciding with world famous Ratha Yatra is being celebrated in the Odisha’s pilgrim city of Puri.
The deities were taken out from the sanctum sanctorum to the chariot in Pehandi Bije ritual in the presence of DRM Anup Satpathy, ADRM Manoj Kumar Sahoo of Waltair Division ECO Railways, PK Dash Ex chief Commissioner and Commissioner Income tax Rajiv Singh assisted by the temple executive committee members.
After the Chhera Pahanra ritual performed by president of Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj J.K Nayak, the chariot was pulled by the devotees in a grand procession marked Sankirtan and sounds of conch, beating of traditional instruments and a roadshow by Jodi Shankha troupe from Odisha’s Ganjam district. Rajmata of Jeypore Mayank Devi was present on the occasion.
The procession passed through Childrens’arena, Millennium block, Andhra University out gate, Vuda Park and Shanti Ashram to the Mausi Maa temple at Lawsons Bay colony. The Yatra epitomizes the wish and love of the Lords to give darshan to the common mass irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
The deities will be in the Gundicha temple till 28thJune 2023 and will return to the main temple on Bahuda Yatra.