New Delhi: U.S.A's Rhodes Island State celebrated the Eighth Car Festival of Lord Jagannath with spectacular fanfare and spiritual fervour.The abode of the Lord of the Universe at Sri Siddhi Vinayak Temple at Warwick, was elegantly decorated befitting to the Grand Occasion. The day began with the performance of special religious rituals like Mangala Arati and homo in front of the Four Deities in the morning by the priest Chandra Sekhar . At about 11.30 a.m. the Idols were taken in Dhadi Pahandi procession by the servitors and spectators to the colourfully decorated chariot parked in front of the Temple. Floral ornamentation of Deities and Chariot were aesthetically and immaculately done by Padmini Panda, Sudeepa Nayak and Shradha Nayak.
The whole atmosphere got reverberated with the chanting of hymns, roaring of slogans like Hari Bol and Jai Jagannath, blowing of conch and playing of musical instruments such as Ghanta, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga. The splendid scene of Goddess Subhadra being carried in a swinging mode to the Chariot by exclusively lady worshippers was momentous and memorable. Unusual interest, unexpected enthusiasm and unprecedented excitements were visible among the hundreds of Odia and Non Odia devotees gathered here along with their friends, family and relatives to take part in the Chariot pulling ceremony. People from far flung places like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts also descended at the Festival site in large numbers to have a holy glimpse of Trinity atop the Chariot and earn lifetime fortune and prosperity.
Retired Navy Lieutenant Ashok Kumar Mohapatra conducted the traditional service of sweeping in front of the chariot called Chhera Pahanra.With the rendering of Bhajans, Jananas and Kirtans, the Ghosha Yatra commenced at 1.00 p.m. The Chariot was pulled till 1 Km in the outskirt of the Sri Siddhi Vinayak mandir compound and then taken back to the premises of the Temple. The auspicious sight of the Four Deities on board the majestic Chariot during their royal sojourn on the streets of Warwick was just miraculous and mesmerising. After coming back from the Yatra, the Deities were offered delicious Prasad prepared in the style of Ananda Bazar of Puri, which was later parcated by the devotees gathered.
This year’s Car Festival witnessed an outstanding Cultural extravaganza consisting of soul soothing rendition of Bhajans by Sunny Mishra, Anayra Panda and Pragyan Behera, presentations of scintillating Odissi dance performances by Akanksha Mishra and heart wrenching Live Odia Janana in front of the Chariot by Sunil Dooda. The cultural session was ably coordinated and moderated by Pankaj Panda and Shatakshi Dash.
The entire arrangements of Rath Yatra were well organized and smoothly conducted with the overall guidance by World Odisha Society’s International Co-ordinator Akshay Mohanty with the active support of able organising team consisting of Babita Mohanty, Munmun Das, Mani Mahapatra, Subhransu Mohanty, Simmy Mahapatra, Saroj Behera, Saurabh Mishra, Soumyashree Dash, Bishwa Patnaik, Chandra Sekhar Mohanty, Santosh Behera, Lina Patnaik, Sukanta Patra, Kalpana Mohanty, Karuna Meheta, Devasish Panda, Nani Babu, Anup Mohanty, Ajit Nayak, Smita Patnaik, Sovdeep Das, Rohan Mohanty, Kartik Mohanty, Sukadev Parida and Sukanti Parida.
