Thousands witness 'Hera Panchami' ritual in Odisha's Puri as Rath Yatra festivities continue
National 21 Jul, 2026

Thousands witness 'Hera Panchami' ritual in Odisha's Puri as Rath Yatra festivities continue

Business To Business, Puri, 21st July, 2026:   Thousands of devotees gathered at the Gundicha Temple in Puri on Monday to witness the 'Hera Panchami' ritual, a key event of the annual Rath Yatra that symbolises the divine love and playful marital discord between Lord Jagannath and Goddess Mahalakshmi.
Observed on the fifth day of the Rath Yatra, the ritual commemorates Goddess Mahalakshmi's symbolic expression of displeasure after Lord Jagannath leaves for his nine-day stay at the Gundicha Temple with his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, without taking her along.
As part of the centuries-old tradition, Goddess Mahalakshmi is carried in a ceremonial palanquin procession from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, located about 2.6 kilometres away, where the ritual is performed before she returns to the main shrine.

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