Mythology behind the lost ancient 'Malini river bed' in Puri

Thousands of years ago, there flowed a river between the main temple of Lord Jagannath and Gundicha temple called Malini, a tributary of the Bhargavi. On the Rath Yatra day, the magnificent chariots rode till the riverside. Then they were carried to the other side through a makeshift bridge and mounted on the other set of chariots.

Puri: Thousands of pilgrims flock to 'Saradha Baali’ the place where the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbhadra and Goddess Subhadra are parked in front of the Gundicha temple, to catch a glimpse of the Holy Trinity. But very few know about the mythology and tales associated with the place. There are several tales and theories regarding the origin of the place.

There is a history behind naming of this place as ‘Saradha Baali’. Thousands of years ago, there flowed a river between the main temple and Gundicha temple called Malini, a tributary of the Bhargavi. During Rath Yatra, six chariots were built, three for each side of the rivulet.

On the Rath Yatra day, the magnificent chariots rode till the riverside. Then they were carried to the other side through a makeshift bridge and mounted on the other set of chariots.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Servitor, Dr Sarat Mohanty said, "In ancient times, six wooden chariots were being constructed for the Car Festival of the Deities. The reason behind this is that the river Malini was flowing across the grand road near Bada Sankha. During the time of Puri Gajapati Narasingh Dev, queen Saradha Devi dreamt of Lord Jagannath ordering her to have a single yatra without any break. So, the mouth of the river Malini was closed and the river was filled with sand to make the Rath Yatra smoother. The closed mouth is now referred to as Banki Muhana and the place is called as Saradha Baali."

"The devotees put the holy sand of ‘Saradha Baali’ on their head, rubs the sand on their entire body, rolls on the sand and Being fully absorbed with love for the Lord, the devotees totally overwhelmed and almost lose themselves," he said.

Servitor, Gauri Shankar Singhari said, "When the Supreme Lord comes out on his 9-day sojourn, known as Car Festival or ‘Gundicha Jatra’, his chariot stops at this ‘Saradha Baali’. From the ‘Saradha Baali,’ Lord Jagannath is taken in a “Pahandi” (ceremonial carrying of the Lord by Daitapati Servitors on their shoulders) for being placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum in the Gundicha Temple (known as Adap Mandap)."

"Since the Lord is taken in a ‘Pahandi’ from this place before entering into the Sri Gundicha Temple, the sand of this place is accepted as very holy. This ‘Saradha Baali’ is no ordinary sand, it is also called ‘Bajra Dhuli’ (epithet sand). The vast land extending from Sri Gundicha temple up to Bada Sankha is known as ‘Saradha Baali’," Singhari said.