Divine Couple’s Tiff Ends in Happiness to All

CHANDIGARH, July 19, 2013: The end of the Bahuda Yatra was marked by the enactment of a lovers' quarrel between Lord Jagannath and his wife Goddess Lakshmi at the gate of the Sector 31 temple. The scene depicted a petulant Goddess Lakshmi blocking Lord Jagannath' way back to the temple after his return from his aunt, Massi Gundicha's temple. 

The Lord is supposed to have come back after eight days and is not allowed inside by his wife who is angry with him for not taking her along. Finally, the Lord placates his consort by gifting her sweets and a "naulakha haar" or a necklace worth Rs 9 lakh. 

The gates of the temple were opened after the performance, letting the Lord in. The enactment is the concluding part of the Bahuda Yatra or the return journey of Lord Jagannath from his aunt's place. 

"Every year we enact this scene after the Bahuda yatra as part of tradition. A symbolic artificial necklace is gifted to whosoever plays the part of Goddess Lakshmi,a?? said Manoj KumarMahapatra, from Utkal Sanskrutik Sangh, Chandigarh. 

Devotees took out the Bahuda Yatra in the sector market and back to the temple. Nearly 5,000 to 7,000 devotees participated in the Yatra. The procession to the Massi Gundicha temple was taken out on July 10 from Sri Jagannath Temple in Sector 31, Chandigarh to Tribune Chowk, Sai Mandir in Sector 30, Shree Chaitanya Gaudia Math in Sector 20, covering sectors 21, 33/34, 44, Sanatan Dharam Mandir in Sector 45 and 46, Ram Mandir in Sector 47 and back to the temple.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 19, 2013.