Jagannath Rath Yatra preparations begin in Munich on Akshay Tritiya

Bhubaneswar: Akshay Tritiya and Ratha Anukula were organised by Shree Jagannatha Seva Germany at the Jagannath Temple on the Sivaalayam premises, Munich, on Sunday, marking the start of chariot-making for Rath Yatra to be celebrated on July 16 this year.

Around 200 Indians residing in Munich assembled to celebrate this occasion that included rituals for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Temple priests, trained in Jagannath rituals previously by purohits in Odisha, performed the rituals. “Most devotees, both Odias and from other Indian communities, know the significance of Akshay Tritiya,” said Priyadarshan Samal, one of the organisers.

“People not only visit Jagannath Temple but also other temples on the premises,” said Deepak Panigrahi, another organiser. At the Jagannath Temple, ‘arna, dalma, mahura, khata, khiri and chhenapoda’ was distributed as prasad among devotees. ‘Chhenapoda’ was prepared by Mahashweta Acharya and ‘mahura’ by Debashis Sahoo, both members of Shree Jagannatha Seva Germany.

Rath Yatra started at the temple in 2022 after ‘prana pratistha’ of the idols. The chariot built for the purpose is dismantled every year and assembled the subsequent year. “We repair and repaint the chariot every year for Rath Yatra during the weekends preceding the festival,” said Tanmay Panda.