Podhuan bhara procession on the eve of Prathamastami from Niali Madhab pitha to Puri Srimandir today

Puri: Ahead of Prathamastami, an awaited typical Odia festival, the Prathamastami bhara is to be sent from the famous Madhab temple in Niali area of Cuttack district to Srimandira, the famous Lord Jagannath temple in Puri of Odisha. This year Prathamastami will be observed on November 23.Prathamastami is observed across Odisha on the Astami tithi (8^th day after Kartika Purnima) in the month of Margasira. On this occasion a bhara, containing different foods and gift items are sent by the maternal uncle to his sister’s house. During this festival especially the eldest child is offered a lighted lamp ovation by his/her mother and senior relatives. On that day the first or Prathama child wears new dresses that comes from the maternal uncle’s house and special elaborate rituals are performed amid chanting of hymns wishing his long life and prosperity. The ritual involves Arati of the eldest child by mother and relatives. The Prathamastami bhara normally contains items like new clothes, coconut, jaggery, newly harvested rice, black gram, turmeric leaves, coconut etc.  On this occasion Lord Ganesha, Goddess Shashti Devi and the deity of the family are worshipped. The main delicacy of Prathamastami is ‘Enduri Pitha’.As per the tradition, the Prathamastami bhara is sent from the Shree Madhab pitha, the prime deity of Prachi valley in Odisha to Srimandira in Puri.Accordingly, on the previous day of Prathamastami, that is on the Saptami titihi on November 22, the ‘Podhuan Bhara’ will be sent from the Shree Madhab pitha to Shree Kshetra. Among other things this bhara will have ‘pata’ clothes for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, Lord Sudarshana, Madhaba, Bhudevi and Shree Devi.Here are the other items of the Prathamastami Bhara which is also called Podhuan Bhara in Odia. The items are – raw rice, black gram, coconuts, jaggery, ripe plantains, ghee, sandalwood, camphor, Aguru, nutmeg, betel leaves, betel nuts, cardamoms and cloves besides different types of fruits for Gopalaballava and Basil leaves and lotus flowers for besha of Lord Jagannath.Around 4:30 am Shri Madhaba was bathed and his other rituals was done then at 5:00 am he adorned the ‘Raja-rajeswar besha’. At 5:30 am Gopal Ballabh bhoga was done and then around 7:30 am the ‘Podhuan bhara’ was taken to the Srimandir with a grand procession. The Bhoi servitors will be in the front of the procession with flags. The dholias and Mahurias will play the musical instruments. Behind this section in the procession, the Gadua servitors will be exhibiting Paika Akhada. This martial art display will include Ramatali and Laudi showcase. More than 90 troupes of Sankirtana and two Ghanta-Pakhauj troupes will be there in this procession.In this procession the Chhatisha Nijogis, saints from Prachi area, devotees of Lord Jagannath will participate. For the devotees Dahipana has been arranged at Charichhaka, Nagpur and Ganeswarpur while the launch arrangement has been done at the Ashram of Paramhansa Pragyananda in Balighai.The procession will move through Madhaba, Chandramauli, Charichhaka, Gop, Ganeshwarpur, Nagpur, Solapur, Madaranga, Chhaitana, Balighai and reach the Gundicha temple in Puri by 2:30  pm. From there the second phase procession will begin at 3 pm which is scheduled to reach Srimandira by 4 pm. The Prathamastami Bhara or Podhuan bhara will be presented at the Srimandira office and the procession will end. It will be offered to the Lords along with the Podhua pata on Saturday.