Varanasi's Lord Jagannath temple reopens after 15-day ritual, Rathyatra mela set to begin
VARANASI: The millennia-old city of Varanasi plunged into the centuries-old Rathyatra Mela festivities after Lord Jagannath recovered from a fortnight-long illness, and the doors of the Jagannath Temple in the Assi locality opened for devotees on Wednesday.
Due to excessive water offerings by devotees on the full moon day of the month of Jyeshtha, Lord Jagannath fell ill. For 15 days, a special herbal drink was offered to the deity. After recovering, on the 15th day, the new moon day of the month of Ashadha, the deity regained health and appeared before the devotees in the morning.
The temple's chief priest, Radhe Shyam Pandey, adorned the Lord with white garments and white flowers, offered a special ritual with Panchamrit, and conducted a grand prayer ceremony.
You Can Also Check:
Varanasi AQI
|
Weather in Varanasi
|
Bank Holidays in Varanasi
|
Public Holidays in Varanasi
After the ceremony, the Panchamrit was distributed among the devotees as a sacred offering. On Wednesday, the Lord was offered parwal (pointed gourd) juice. On Thursday, the Lord's palanquin will be taken out, and from June 27 to 29, during the chariot festival, the Lord will be seated on the chariot to give darshan to the devotees.
Rathyatra Mela is one such rare festival when gods come out of their sanctum sanctorum and make a round of the city to meet their devotees.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
Kashi, the permanent abode of Lord Shiva, witnessed the grandeur of Lord Jagannath's Rathyatra along with his siblings in 1802.
Since then, the annual Rathyatra festivities have continued in this oldest living city, where the tradition of Rathyatra Mela as a replica of Puri's Rathyatra Mela has been celebrated for over two centuries.
The Rathyatra festival begins from Jyeshtha Purnima when Lord Jagannath falls ill due to excessive bathing at Jagannath Temple.
The deity is given herbal hot food, particularly kadha made of parwal and Tulsi, for the next 14 days. The doors of the Jagannath Temple remain closed for devotees during this period.
After the deity recovers from the fortnight-long illness, the doors of the Jagannath Temple are opened for devotees. The idols of Lord Jagannath, along with his elder brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra, are placed on a palanquin and taken to Pt Beniram Bagh for a night stay.
By the next evening, the chariot of the Rathyatra fair also reaches the Rathyatra road. After the idols of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are placed on the chariot, devotees perform special aarti and offer prayers. After the end of the fair, the idols are taken back to the temple. The three-day Rathyatra Mela pulls a huge crowd of devotees.
A splendid fair is set up in this locality with shopkeepers selling colourful artefacts, handicrafts, toys, and balloons.
Flower men sell flowers, and holy basil (Jagannath's favourite) is sold everywhere. The special attractions are the seasonal cookie shops called 'Nankhatai' installed only at this time.
The organiser of the Rathyatra Mela, Deepak Shapuri, who along with his brother Alok Shapuri looks after Shri Jagannath Mandir Trust, said that all the rituals of worshipping the deity in Varanasi's Rathyatra festivities are similar to those of the Jagannath Temple of Puri. The tradition was started by the then chief priest of Puri Jagannath Temple, Tejonidhi Brahmchari, who moved to Varanasi from Puri.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Morning Midas cargo ship carrying 3000 new EVs to Mexico sinks off Alaska weeks after catching fire
A big cargo ship called Morning Midas , which was carrying around 3,000 new cars to Mexico, sank in the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska. The ship had caught fire weeks earlier and couldn't be saved. The ship caught fire on June 3 while sailing about 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, Alaska. The fire was big, the 22 crew members had to evacuate into a lifeboat and were rescued safely by a merchant ship nearby. The fire and what happened next No one was hurt in the fire or the rescue. After the fire, the ship was left disabled in the ocean, and a salvage crew reached it days later. On Monday, the ship finally sank in deep international waters, about 415 miles away from land near Alaska's Aleutian Islands. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Knee pain prices might surprise you Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo The water there is around 16,400 feet deep, making recovery tough. The sinking was caused by a mix of fire damage, bad weather, and water leaks. The ship was carrying about 70 fully electric cars and 680 hybrid vehicles, which were likely affected by the fire, according to a CBS News report. Ship, fuel, pollution risk, and safety plans The ship had left Yantai, China, on May 26, heading toward Mexico. The Morning Midas was 600 feet long, built in 2006, and was sailing under the Liberian flag. There was a lot of fuel on board, about 350 metric tons of marine gas oil and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil. Live Events There was a lot of fuel on board, about 350 metric tons of marine gas oil and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil. The U.S. Coast Guard said there's no pollution seen right now but ships are nearby in case anything spills. Two salvage tug boats with pollution control gear are staying at the spot to watch for oil or debris. The crew of those tugs are safe, as stated by CBS News report. A special pollution control ship is also being sent just in case. Captain Christopher Culpepper from the U.S. Coast Guard said they're focused on safety and working closely with Zodiac to handle any pollution quickly. A similar tragedy happened in 2023, where another ship carrying 3,000 cars caught fire including 500 EVs and burned for a week. One person died in that case. The Dutch safety board now wants to improve emergency plans for ships carrying electric vehicles, according to the CBS News report. FAQs Q1. What happened to the Morning Midas ship? The Morning Midas caught fire and later sank in the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska. Q2. What was the ship carrying? It was carrying around 3,000 new vehicles, including 70 electric and 680 hybrid cars.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Assam govt designates District Child Protection Officers as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers
Assam government has notified that the District Child Protection Officers of all Districts of Assam as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) at the district-level. The notification stated, 'In continuation of the earlier notification vide No. SWD. 96/2004/198 dated 23rd February 2016 and in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 16 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, the Governor of Assam is pleased to notify the District Child Protection Officers of all Districts of Assam as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) at the district-level with immediate effect'. The notification added, 'The Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) will perform all the functions and duties as specified under Sub section 3 of Section 16 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA 2006). In addition to these functions and duties as specified in PCMA Act, 2006, the Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) will also perform the functions and duties as specified under section 3 of the Assam Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules, 2015,as notified by Government of Assam vide notification no. SWD. 96/04/192 dated 2nd by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Vietnam (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo November 2015." The notification stated, " The Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) will lodge FIRs under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012" (as amended in 2019) or under "The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006", as the case may be.' Live Events It further stated, 'The Child Marriage Prohibition Officers notified above is in addition to the Gram Panchayat Secretaries notified in General areas and the Lot Mandals (in Dima Hasao) in Sixth Schedule areas for the same purpose. All Child Marriage Prohibition Officers in the districts shall maintain close coordination with each other'. Assam police had launched a fresh operation against child marriages last year. During the crackdown, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered. In October 2023, the Assam police arrested more than 1,000 people in a massive state-wide crackdown against child marriage. As per the state government data, 3,098 persons were arrested under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. The state registered 4,363 cases of child marriage. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that child marriage will be eradicated from Assam completely by 2026. The Assam government had also launched the ' Mission for Prevention of Child Marriage ' in the state budget with an allocation of Rs 200 crore.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Why ancient Egyptians broke Queen Hatshepsut's statues — it's not just patriarchy
Source: iStock For years, the story seemed straightforward: Queen Hatshepsut, one of ancient Egypt's most powerful and fascinating rulers, was posthumously erased by her successor, Thutmose III. The narrative had all the drama — a woman who ruled as a king, a threatened male heir, and a vengeful campaign to wipe her from history. But now, a new study throws a surprising twist into that tale. According to research published in the journal Antiquity, many of Hatshepsut's statues were not destroyed out of hatred or misogyny. Instead, they were ritually deactivated — a normal ancient Egyptian practice. Not erased, but 'deactivated' The research, led by Jun Yi Wong, a doctoral candidate in Egyptology at the University of Toronto, dives into records from the 1920s and '30s, when archaeologists uncovered shattered statues of Hatshepsut buried in pits at her temple at Deir el-Bahri. While it was long assumed this destruction was a symbolic erasure ordered by Thutmose III, Wong found something different. Speaking to Live Science, Wong explained that the statues weren't smashed at the face or stripped of inscriptions — the usual markers of desecration. Instead, they were systematically broken at the neck, waist, and feet, which seems like a process Egyptologists now call 'ritual deactivation.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AC Installation & Repair from Certified Pros Search7 Learn More Undo Source: iStock Ancient Egyptians believed that statues, especially of pharaohs, weren't just stone — they were spiritually potent. Once a pharaoh died, statues could be ritually 'turned off' to prevent lingering powers from interfering with the world of the living. This isn't to say Hatshepsut escaped all forms of persecution. Her images and names were indeed destroyed from various monuments, most likely ordered by Thutmose III. However, there is a difference between the careful deactivation of her statues at Deir el-Bahri and the violent defacement elsewhere hints at a more complex motivation. Source: Canva According to Wong, the evidence suggests Thutmose III may not have acted out of personal resentment. Instead, political pressure from elites who disapproved of a woman taking the throne or fears about her legacy overshadowing his may have motivated his decisions. The new understanding that ancient Egyptians 'turned off' their dead rulers' statues explains how Egyptian culture had complex layers. Sites like the Karnak Cachette — where hundreds of statues from different dynasties were buried in a similar fashion — show that Hatshepsut wasn't uniquely targeted in this way.
