After a seven day stay at the Gundicha Temple, it is time for Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to take the return journey to the ‘Shrimandir’ (Main Temple). The chariots of all three deities are turned to the south direction and parked at ‘Nakachana Dwara’ of the temple in preparation of their return journey, known as ‘Dakshina Moda’.
This return journey which takes place on the ninth day of the Rath Yatra falls on Dashami tithi and is known as ‘Bahuda yatra’. ‘Bahuda’ in Odiya means the ‘return’ and the return journey begins in Gundicha Temple with a ceremonial procession called ‘Bahuda Pahandi.’
No yatra is complete without a few stops. In this Yatra, Mahaprabhu and his sibling deities stop at the ‘Mausi Maa’ temple, known as the ‘Ma Ardhasani’ temple. It is believed that their Mausi maa (Mother’s sister) had requested them to stop at her place so that she could serve them food. How can anyone say no to an invitation from their Mausi ma, who is considered as Maa(mother) in Hindu culture? Agreeing to their Mausi ma’s wish, the three deities stop by the temple and savour their favourite ‘Podo Pitha’ which is a traditional Odia dish made from coconut, rice, jaggery and lentil. After spending some time at the ‘Ma Ardhsani’ temple the three sibling deities continue their journey towards the Shri Mandir.
On their return, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra’s chariots are parked at the ‘Singha Dwara’ (Lion’s gate) before entering the Shrimandir whereas, Lord Jagannath’s chariot halts in front of the Gajapati Maharaj’s (King) palace.
And this is where Goddess Lakshmi sees her Lord Jagannath after a long and anxious wait. The meeting between the two is known as ‘Lakshmi Narayana Bheta’. On knowing of Lord Jagannath’s arrival, Goddess Lakshmi gets restless and anxious to see him. Gauging and comprehending her mood, the servitors take ‘Subarna Lakshmi’ which is a representative idol of the goddess in a palanquin to the ‘Bheta Mandap’ or the ‘Chahani Mandap’ from where she can see her Lord. ‘Chahani’ in Odia means sight or glimpse and ‘Mandap’ means podium.
And while enroute the Bheta Mandap, she crosses Lord Balabhadra’s palanquin. In Hindu tradition, it is considered inauspicious for the elder brother to see the face of his younger brother’s wife. In order to avoid the situation, a ‘parada’ (curtain) is put in front of the palanquin of Lord Balabhadra.
Upon reaching the king’s palace, Goddess Laxmi is welcomed by Gajapati Maharaj and he makes an offering of ‘Dahipati Manohi’ and then carries the idol on his head towards Lord Jagannath to make their reunion successful.
The divine couple look at each other. Lord Jagannath gives an ‘Agyan Mala’ (consent garland) to the goddess promising a return. After receiving the mala, Goddess Mahalaxmi circumvents the Nandighosa (Lord Jaganath’s chariot) and returns to the temple. This celestial meeting between Goddess Laxmi and Lord Jagannath is known as the ‘Lakshmi Narayana Bheta’. Perhaps this is Lord’s way to tell his devotees that he is not any different from them.
After the Bheta the Nandighosa chariot (Lord Jagannath’s chariot) resumes its journey from where it had halted in front of the King’s palace to the ‘Singha Dwara’ or the Lion Gate and joins his siblings who were already present there.
But the confrontation was waiting to happen. Goddess Mahalaxmi does not open the doors of the temple at the Jay Vijaya entrance (the eastern entrance) for Mahaprabhu. What then follows is a dialogue between the Lord of the Lords and his consort. This dialogue concludes only after Lord Jagannath confesses his mistakes and offers Devi Lakshmi ‘Rasagola’ among other things. So much so that he feeds her which calms her down and she finally gives a nod for Mahaprabhu to enter the Shri Mandir. The doors are opened and Lord Jagannath finally enters the temple, drawing the curtain on the grand annual event.
This day is also observed as ‘Rasagola Dibas’ by Odias around the world. ‘Bahuda Yatra’ is one of the most important festivals in Odisha besides the Rath Yatra. Every home, lane, by lane and shop, is decorated as everyone awaits the return of the Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
After the ‘Bahuda Yatra’, the deities are adorned in the ‘Suna Besha’ (Golden attire) the next day and the chariots are kept parked at the gate up to two days. Then, on the ‘Trayadashi tithi’, the deities are taken inside the main temple and are placed on their ‘Ratna Singhasan’, the event of which is known as ‘Niladri Bije’.
