In Odisha, the sacred ‘Adapa Bije’ ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra is being solemnly observed this evening at the Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri, marking one of the most spiritually significant ceremonies of the annual Rath Yatra.

Following the successful completion of the chariot procession yesterday, the Holy Trinity are being ceremonially escorted from their respective chariots into the sanctum of the Sri Gundicha Temple in the traditional ‘Pahandi’ procession amid Vedic chants, devotional hymns and age-old temple rituals.

The deities will remain at the Sri Gundicha Temple for seven days, where devotees from across the country and abroad will have the rare opportunity to offer prayers and seek divine blessings. The return journey of the sibling deities, known as the ‘Bahuda Yatra’, will commence after the conclusion of their seven-day sojourn at the Sri Gundicha Temple, when the Holy Trinity will travel back to the Shree Jagannath Temple along the Grand Road amidst immense religious fervour and the participation of lakhs of devotees.