Cuttack: In the city of ‘bhaichara’ (brotherhood), the Rath Yatra at Dolamundai continues to stand out as a symbol of communal harmony, with members of the Muslim community joining Hindu devotees in celebrating Lord Jagannath’s annual sojourn to the Gundicha temple.On Wednesday, members of both communities completed elaborate preparations for the festival to be celebrated on Thursday, when a decades-old tradition of Hindu-Muslim participation will once again play out in the heart of the millennium city.As the three chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra wind their way through Dolamundai, they will halt at Seminary Chowk, where Muslims associated with the Mohala Committee and Chand Club welcome the deities and offer bhog and prayers.Lingaraj Hati, a member of Haripur-Dolamundai Puja Committee, said rituals at Patitapaban Jew temple at Dolamundai will begin early on Thursday. After customary rituals and Pahandi Bije of the deities are completed by around 3.30 pm, ceremonial pulling of the chariots will begin around 4 pm.“According to oral history, the tradition of Muslims offering bhoga to the deities during Dolamundai Rath Yatra was started by a king who ruled the area. We have grown up witnessing this unique practice,” Hati said.After the customary halt, the chariots continue their journey to Chandan Padia near Dolamundai, where Gundicha temple is located. Dolamundai Rath Yatra is also unique for another reason, the chariot of Devi Subhadra is pulled exclusively by women devotees. Hati said the Patitapaban Jew temple is also the only Rath Yatra in Cuttack, where an elaborate ‘suna besha’ of the deities is performed.Preparations have also been completed at Jagannath temples in Ranihat, Jobra, Chaliaganj and Chandni Chowk, which host some of the city’s prominent neighbourhood Rath Yatras. Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has undertaken clean-up and sanitisation drives around temples and along procession routes besides arranging for drinking water kiosks, mobile toilets and emergency services for thousands of devotees. Police have implemented elaborate security and traffic management arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the festival.
