Seraikela, Shachindra Kumar Dash : On the lines of Jagannath Puri of Odisha, the Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath is being followed in Seraikela-Kharsawan. On Hera Panchami, the fifth day of the Rath Yatra, on Saturday night, the Rath Bhangini tradition will be performed with all religious rituals. Mata Lakshmi coming from Shree temple on Saturday late evening and going to Gundicha temple will angrily break the chariot of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath standing near the main gate. After this, Mata Lakshmi will be taken back to the temple by the priests. This is called Rathbhangini tradition. Preparations have been completed regarding the Rathbhangini tradition to be held on Saturday evening. This tradition will be followed by breaking the Nandi Ghosh Rat standing in front of the Gundicha temples of Seraikela, Kharsawan and Haribhanja.
The devotees of Goddess Lakshmi have a special role in the Rath Bhangani tradition.
On the occasion of Hera Panchami, devotees of Maa Lakshmi, not Lord Jagannath, have a special role in the Rath Bhangini ritual that takes place in Seraikela-Kharsawan. Most of them are women. This year Hera Panchami is on Saturday. On Saturday night, a few devotees of Maa Lakshmi will reach the Gundicha temple by taking the bronze statue of Maa Lakshmi on a palanquin (called a special plane) after offering prayers from the Lakshmi temple adjacent to the Jagannath temple. Here all the rituals will be performed after knocking on the threshold of the temple. After this, the devotees will take the idol of Maa Lakshmi on a palanquin and reach near Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, and after breaking some of the wood on one side of the chariot, will return to their temple.
What is religious belief?
Hera Panchami is associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Lord Jagannath. Mother Lakshmi gets angry when Lord Jagannath did not return to Srimandir even after five days after going to Gundicha temple with brother and sister. Angry with her husband, Goddess Lakshmi breaks the wheel of his chariot. This tradition will be performed in the Jagannath temples of Kharsawan, Seraikela and Haribhanja at 8 pm. Regarding the organization of these traditions of Rath Bhangini, Pradeep Kumar Dash, the chief servant of the Jagannath temple of Haribhanja, says that ‘Lord Jagannath leaving his wife and going to meet his aunt, his wife Lakshmi does not like. Mother Lakshmi’s anger is on the seventh sky when Lord Jagannath does not return even on the 5th day of Rath Yatra.
Distressed by her husband’s indifference, Lakshmi ji reaches the Gundicha temple directly at her aunt’s house. During this, there is also an argument between husband and wife. That’s why angry Lakshmi ji breaks the wheel of her husband Prabhu Jagannath’s chariot ‘Nandighosh’ by taking out a wood and goes back to her home. All these rituals are performed by the priests of the temple. The conversation between Lord Jagannath and Lakshmiji takes place through their priests. What will be said in this is also decided. After performing the Rath Bhangini tradition, Lord Jagannath immediately prepares to return. On the third day of Hera Panchami, the chariots of all the three turn towards their respective temples. This is also a religious rite, which is called Dakshinamukh. This religious ritual is also considered very important.
Don’t know why Goddess Lakshmi gets angry
Pandit Brahmanand Mahapatra, the priest of the Jagannath temple of Seraikela, says that with the influence of Kalyug, while there is a decrease in maintaining traditional blood-bond relations, on the other hand, Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath, who is worshiped as the living god of Kalyug, does not break the blood-bond. They give the message of maintaining the relations by doing Rath Yatra. Pandit Brahmanand Mahapatra, the priest of the Jagannath temple in Seraikela, tells that after the eye festival, Lord Jagannath sets out on a chariot journey to go to the Gundicha temple at his aunt’s house with his sister Subhadra and elder brother Balabhadra, without informing his wife Mata Lakshmi.
While searching for him in the temple, Mata Lakshmi comes to know about this on Panchami Tithi, then Mata Lakshmi leaves the Shri temple to search for Mahaprabhu. Searching for Mahaprabhu, she reaches the gate of Mausi Bari. She sees Mahaprabhu’s chariot standing there, but due to the religion of being a daughter-in-law, Aunt Bari is unable to enter the in-laws’ house without invitation. That’s why in an angry state, the aunt breaks the chariot standing outside the fence. Seeing the absence of Mata Lakshmi of Shri Mandir and the anger of Mata Lakshmi, the group of priests gather in the honor of Mata Lakshmi amid chanting of mantras and after persuading Mata Lakshmi for a long time, bring her back to Shri Mandir.