Puri: With the Rath Yatra a little over a week away, the preparations for the state’s biggest festival amid the pandemic are in full swing.
The 12th-century shrine body, which is planning to observe the festival without the participation of devotees and impose more restrictions this time, held a meeting with a group of servitors.
Srikshetra and Lord Sri Jagannath are the central points of the confluence of all religions. This land is the symbol of an extended and spread out deep consciousness and Srikshetra has a unique speciality.
A series of festivals and events are lined up to celebrate the month of Margashira. People believe that when they make a circumambulation of this holy land, they get rid of all the sins and agonies.
The round trip or circumambulation of Srikshetra or ‘Panchatirtha’ (union of five holy lands) is observed here on the fifth day of the dark lunar fortnight of the Odia month of ‘Margashira’.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Suryanarayan Rath Sharma, Servitor and Scholar of Lord Jagannath Culture said, " This round trip of the Srikshetra starts from the lions' gate of the Sri Jagannath temple. Beating the cymbals and singing religious songs in praise of the holy trinity, the devotees, pious persons and sages go round the four holy gates of the temple.
"Along with this, they visit the holy ponds like ‘Markanda’, Indradyumna’, and ‘Narendra’ as also the temples of ‘Kapala mochan’, ‘Lokanath’ and ‘ Chakratirtha’ and take bath in the holy ocean," he added.
The Land of the Supreme Lord Jagannath which is also known as “Sankha Kshetra” is the abode of all the gods and goddess. If one makes a round trip or ‘parikrama’ of the holy land of Puri, he will get the desired effect of having gone round all the four famous holy lands of the country," said, Rabindra Pratihari, Servitor.
ALSO READ: Rath Yatra: All you want to know about the chariots of the Holy Trinity
