Hundreds of devotees joined the 26th Rath Yatra of Maa Tarini Mangala in Balasore on Raja Sankranti, as the goddess’s chariot, pulled mainly by women, travelled from Somnathpur to Kanak Durga Temple.
Women devotees pulling the chariot of Maa Tarini Mangala Photograph: (OTV)
Faith and devotion came together in a grand celebration on Monday as the unique Rath Yatra of Maa Tarini Mangala was observed with religious fervour at Somnathpur in Remuna block of Balasore district on the occasion of Raja Sankranti.
Also Read: Historic ‘Ghoda Melana’ celebrated with grandeur at Maa Bhadrakali Peeth in Odisha The annual festival, which has been celebrated in Balasore for the past 26 years, witnessed the participation of hundreds of devotees from different parts of the district.
The two-day Rath Yatra began with traditional rituals, including the ceremonial pahandi procession and chhera pahanra performed by the temple’s chief servitor. The deity was then placed on the chariot and taken on an eight-kilometre journey to the historic Kanak Durga Temple near Kuta Pokhari in Remuna.
A unique feature of the festival is that the chariot is predominantly pulled by women devotees. Amid chants, bhajans, kirtans, ringing bells and traditional ululations, the procession moved towards its destinatio
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