Odisha: Lord Jagannath returns to sanctum sanctorum as 2026 Rath Yatra in Puri ends with 'Niladri Bije' ritual

The 2026 Jagannath Rath Yatra concluded on Monday with the Niladri Bije ritual as Lord Jagannath Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra returned to the sanctum sanctorum of the Srimandir Jagannath Temple after their nineday sojournThe Shree Jagannath Temple Administration SJTA termed the festival a massive success noting a recordbreaking turnout of devoteesAddressing reporters on the conclusion of the festivities Arabinda Kumar Padhee Chief Administrator of the SJTA said We had the blessings of Mahaprabhu that all the rituals were performed as scheduled We are extremely grateful to each and every servitor who supported usThe Chief Administrator also extended his appreciation to the coordinated efforts of the State and district machineryWe are deeply grateful to the district administration police administration my colleagues in the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and various organs of government for their very generous support he addedPadhee highlighted the unprecedented scale of the gathering this year stating that the pilgrimage city saw a historic influx of visitorsWe are also grateful to the people of Puri because this time the footfall crossed all records As per our preliminary estimation about 50 lakh devotees visited the Yatra he saidThe Niladri Bije ritual marks the final stage of the Rath Yatra where the deities are taken from their chariots back into the temple in a ceremonial procession known as PahandiThe main aspect of the Niladri Bije ritual is the heavenly love and affection between Lord Jagannath and his wife Goddess LaxmiThe Niladri Bije was not a smooth affair for Lord Jagannath Goddess Laxmi was annoyed as she was not allowed in the Gundicha temple So she allowed Lord Balabhadra Goddess Subhadra and Lord Sudarshana to enter the temple but when Lord Jagannath tried to enter the temple she gave orders to her servitors to close the Jaya Vijaya gate of the SinghadwarGoddess Lakshmi was furious over Lord Jagannath not taking her along during the annual sojourn An exchange of words breaks out between the Devadasi women servitors representing Lakshmi and Badagrahi Daitas and other Daitapatis representing Lord JagannathLater Lord Jagannath assures Goddess Lakshmi that he will not repeat it again Thereafter Goddess Laxmi directs the opening of the JayaBijay doors for him At last Goddess Lakshmi looks to the south and both exchange looks The Bhittarchha servitors untie the nuptial knot and offer Bandapana In order to pacify his better half Lord Jagannath offers Rasagolas to Goddess LaxmiOn July 26 Suna Bhesha or Rajrajeswari Bhesh was performed Niladri Bije follows the Adhara Pana ritual in which the deities were offered a special pana on their respective chariots The temple servitors offered the drink in long earthen pitchers to the Trinity after performing Sodosha Upachar PoojaThe pots were kept in such a way that they did not touch the lips of the deities Soon after the offering late in the evening the earthen pots were broken on the chariots spilling the entire drink on the platform These pots were broken to liberate the evil souls spirits and other invisible beings residing in the chariotsMonday was the last day and Lord Jagannath offered Rasagulla to the Goddess and she allowed him to enter the temple like a common manThe Jagannath Rath Yatra one of Indias biggest and most revered religious festivals is celebrated every year in Puri Odisha During the festival Lord Jagannath along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra is taken in grand chariots from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple Lakhs of devotees gather to pull the towering chariots believing it brings divine blessings and spiritual meritThis years Rath Yatra the 149th Rath Yatra began on July 16 and the nineday festival concluded with the Bahuda Yatra on July 24 The deities are scheduled to ceremonially reenter the Jagannath Temple on July 27This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever