Divine Reunion at Puri: Niladri Bije Marks End of Ratha Yatra

After a grand sojourn at the Gundicha Temple, Lord Jagannath, along with His elder brother Lord Balabhadra, sister Devi Subhadra, and the divine Sudarshan, was ceremoniously brought back to the sanctum sanctorum and placed upon the Ratna Singhasana, the bejewelled throne inside the temple. This deeply revered return procession, known as Goti Pahandi, was performed with age-old devotion by the Daita Pati servitors, whose hereditary service to the Lord continues unbroken through centuries.

As dusk descended upon the holy town and the Sandhya Dhupa (evening offering) concluded, the sacred Charamala ramps were fixed to each of the three majestic chariots. The Mudiratha servitors offered puspanjali (floral homage) and conducted the ritual of doralagi, symbolically adorning the deities before their homeward passage. The sound of kahali (ceremonial bugles) and conch shells pierced the night air, invoking a transcendental atmosphere as the Pahandi began.

Lord Sudarshan led the divine procession, followed by Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, whose rhythmic movements down the ramps — swaying gently as if in cosmic dance — left devotees spellbound. Finally, amidst chants of Hari Bol and Jai Jagannath, Lord Jagannath’s majestic Pahandi was performed — an overwhelming moment of spiritual ecstasy for the multitude of devotees who had gathered to witness this celestial reunion.

But the most poignant chapter of the night awaited within the temple precincts. As tradition holds, Maa Lakshmi, the eternal consort of Lord Jagannath, still aggrieved at being left behind during the Ratha Yatra to Gundicha Temple, enacted a divine drama. Upon the arrival of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, she commanded the closing of the Jaya-Vijaya Dwar (the inner temple gates), denying Lord Jagannath entry — a symbolic expression of tender divine displeasure.

What followed was a sacred play of love, repentance, and reconciliation. The servitors of Maa Lakshmi and Lord Jagannath engaged in a ritualistic standoff, symbolising the Lord’s remorse for excluding His consort from the journey. Legends recount that the Lord, in a gesture of affectionate apology, offered her Rasagolas, the famed sweet delicacy of Odisha. Pleased with His earnestness and sweet offering, Maa Lakshmi forgave her beloved and granted Him entry into the sanctum.

This divine episode, steeped in tender human emotions and celestial symbolism, reminds devotees of the sacredness of love, repentance, and forgiveness in the cosmic order. It is this moment that has given rise to the cherished tradition of Rasagola Bhoga — where the Lord offers Rasagolas to appease the Goddess, a ritual now deeply intertwined with Odisha’s culinary and spiritual heritage.

On this auspicious occasion, the deities were also offered Mahaprasad, famously known as Nilachal Abhada, which was later distributed among devotees and is believed to carry the blessings of the Lord Himself.

As the Holy Trinity ascended the Ratna Singhasana, concluding this year’s Ratha Yatra, the hearts of lakhs of devotees — who had gathered on the Grand Road and those who watched from afar — were filled with divine bliss. The Niladri Bije not only marks the physical return of the deities but also signifies the cyclical journey of life, love, and redemption, reminding humanity of the eternal bond between the divine and the devotee.

In Puri, on this sacred night, the mortal and the eternal seemed to merge — and the Lord, after days under the open sky amidst His children, returned to His celestial home, carrying with Him the prayers, hopes, and unspoken wishes of countless hearts.