Rasagola, Rituals and Devotion: Niladri Bije Brings Puri Rath Yatra to Close

The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings concluded in Puri on Monday with the traditional Niladri Bije ritual, marking the return of the deities to the 12th-century Jagannath Temple after spending 12 days outside the shrine.

The festival began on July 16, when Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra embarked on their annual journey in three chariots to the Shree Gundicha Temple, located around 2.6 kilometres from the main shrine and revered as their birthplace.

Following the Bahuda Yatra, or return car festival, on July 24, the deities remained on their respective chariots before being ceremonially taken into the main temple. During the Niladri Bije procession, Shree Sudarshan was taken inside first, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and, finally, Lord Jagannath amid chants of 'Jai Jagannath', 'Haribol', gongs, cymbals and trumpets.

The entry of Lord Jagannath was symbolically delayed as part of a traditional ritual representing Maha Laxmi's anger over not being taken along on the Rath Yatra. According to mythology, Lord Jagannath pacified his consort by offering her Rasagola and a costly saree. The ritual concluded after Maha Laxmi granted him permission to enter the shrine.

More than two lakh devotees gathered near the Lion's Gate to witness the ceremonial 'quarrel', while over 50 lakh pilgrims from India and abroad visited Puri during the 10-day festival.

The celebrations, however, were marred by casualties. At least three people died, reportedly due to suffocation amid hot and humid conditions, while several others fell ill because of the weather and crowd surge.

For crowd management and security, Odisha Police deployed over 13,000 personnel and installed more than 400 AI-enabled CCTV cameras across key areas. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said ensuring devotees' safety, convenience and smooth darshan remained the government's top priority.