8th july,2024 (Odisha Tazanews) Raipur :-> The Annual Car Festival was celebrated at the largest Jagannath Temple of Chhattisgarh in Gayatri Nagar at Raipur with pomp, splendour and spectacular fanfare. The Mega Celebration hosted by Shree Jagannath temple Seva Samiti to mark the union of Lord of the Universe with common devotees witnessed the congregation of more than a lakh spectators from Raipur and adjoining areas. Unusual enthusiasms and unprecedented excitements were visible among the strong crowd of Odia and Non Odia devotees gathered here with their family members since the wee hours of the auspicious day to take part in the Grand Celebration. The Temple management Committee under the active stewardship of its Founder President and Local MLA Purandar Mishra had made massive arrangements to control the crowd, to maintain law and order and to distribute Mahaprasad in large scale.
In the morning religious rituals were performed before the Deities in the Temple amidst spiritual fervour. Special Havan was organised to invoke the blessings of the God. After the conclusion of Havan at around 12.45 p.m. in afternoon the Pahandi Bije of God Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra, Debi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath were conducted by servitors to the three aesthetically and elegantly decorated Chariots parked in the Grand Road in front of the Temple. Governor of Chhattisgarh Biswabhushan Harichandan was the Chief Guest and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was the Guest of Honour. Other distinguished Guests present include Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, MP Brij Mohan Agrawal, MLA Motilal Sahu and Mayor Aijaz Dhebar. The entire atmosphere got reverberated with the recitals of hymns, roaring of slogans like Haribol and Jai Jagannath, sounding of Huluhuli, blowing of conch and playing of musical instruments such as Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga by the devotees.
