Grand Rath Yatra Celebrated at Fakir Mohan University: Vice Chancellor Performs All Ritual Duties of the Deities

Balasore, 27/6 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty) – The campus of Fakir Mohan University transformed into a spiritual and cultural celebration on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. Blending devotion with knowledge, the festival radiated a message of unity, joy, and reverence.

Following the rituals of Nabajouban Vesha and Netrotsav, Vice Chancellor Prof. Santosh Kumar Tripathy led all the service rituals of the deities in the role of the chief servitor. Faculty, staff, and students of the university carried the four deities in a single ceremonial procession (Pahandi Bije) and respectfully installed them on the chariot.

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The Rath Yatra procession echoed with the sounds of bells, conches, mridanga drums, and the royal chaamara fans, while students filled the air with devotional songs and kirtans, creating an atmosphere of divine ecstasy.

The celebration included traditional offerings, the Chhera Pahara ritual, and the sacred act of pulling the chariot. As the procession reached the university’s Mausi Maa temple, group chanting and devotional singing elevated the spiritual experience to a unique level.

On this occasion, Professor Debashis Patra, Head of the Department of Language and Literature, delivered an inspiring and in-depth talk on the cultural significance of Lord Jagannath.

The deities—Chaturdha Murti along with Lord Sudarshan—were ceremonially installed in the Sri Gundicha Temple within the campus, and the festival concluded with the distribution of bhoga and prasada.

It is noteworthy that the university annually observes the complete cycle of Jagannath rituals and festivals—from Akshaya Tritiya to Niladri Bije—with great enthusiasm, discipline, and spiritual devotion.