The Rath Yatra festival is one of the oldest and most popular yatra celebrated in Odisha every year. Devotees throng from far and wide to revere Mahaprabhu Jagannath’s presence amidst them. The devotees walk along the chariot and Rath yatra begins on Asadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya tithi every year. On this day, Lord Jagannath along with his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra along with Sudarshan chakra embark on a nine-day journey to Gundicha Temple which is almost three kilometres from the Shrimandir (Main Temple). They stay there for a week and return to Srimandir on the ninth day.
During these nine days, several rituals are performed. Each ritual has its significance. But there is one which portrays an almost human like relationship between Lord Jagannath and his consort Goddess Lakshmi known as ‘Hera Panchami’. This ritual is observed on the fifth day of the Rath Yatra. ‘Hera’ means to search or look for and ‘Panchami’ means fifth. The ritual signifies the longing and yearning of Devi Lakshmi to reunite with her consort, Lord Jagannath.
It is said that when Lord Jagannath along with his sibling deities leave the Shrimadir for a nine- day sojourn to the Gundicha Mandir, he leaves Goddess Lakshmi behind with a promise to return the next day. But, four days pass by, he does not return. Devi Lakshmi by then gets restless to meet her beloved. On the fifth day she starts missing him so much that she decides to go and see him. But before leaving, she pays a visit to Bimala Devi in the vicinity of the shrine to take her advice. After listening to Devi Lakshmi, Bimala Devi gives her ‘Moha Churna’ (powder) to hypnotise Lord Jagannath so that he returns to the main temple (Srimandir) without further delay.
With a hope to meet her beloved and bring him back to the Shrimandir, Goddess Lakshmi proceeds to Gundicha temple in a beautifully decorated palanquin accompanied by the servitors. On their way, they also sing the Hera Panchami song expressing Devi’s anger towards her beloved husband. When her palanquin halts near Lord Jagannath’s chariot, Pati Mahapatra servitor welcomes her with ceremonial offerings.
In the evening, Goddess Lakshmi enters the Gundicha temple after Sandhya Dhupa. But she is unable to see Lord Jagannath. But due to the effect of ‘Mohana Churna’, the Pati Mahapatra offers an ‘Agyan Mala’ (a consent garland) on behalf of Lord Jagannath to Goddess Mahalaxmi assuring her that the Lord will return to the main temple in three days.
This marks the beginning of the process of the return journey of the three deities, known as ‘Bahuda Yatra’. On the next day, the three chariots of the three deities are turned to the south direction and parked at ‘Nakachana Dwara’. This is termed ‘Dakshina Moda’. Goddess Lakshmi also comes out of the temple through Nakachana Dwara where she is worshipped and offered curd, dahipati manohi, bidia and ‘Bandapana Niti’ is performed by the servitors of the temple. Convinced yet angry for not being able to see Lord Jagannath she halts near his chariot, Nandighosha and asks her servitors to break a part of it as a sign of anger and haplessness. She then secretly leaves that place through a different pathway called ‘Hera Gohri Sahi’.
This ritual signifies the eternal bond between Mahaprabhu Jagannath and Goddess Laxmi. It wouldn’t be wrong if we say that they are inseparable. Perhaps, that is the reason why the main temple in Puri is called SRIMANDIR. ‘Sri’ signifies Goddess Lakshmi and is believed to be the ‘Maya Shakti’ (power of delusion) of Lord Jagannath. The ‘Vaishnavas’ always worship them together. Their belief lies in the fact that they are one so how can both be worshipped separately? There are numerous mentions in scriptures where it says that Goddess Laxmi is always perceived as an inseparable part of Lord Jagannath. For instance, she is described as ‘Nilachalabasini’ and ‘Shobhasalini’ of Lord Jagannath in ‘the Jugal Sahasra’ (a scripture). She is also represented as a precious stone fixed in the jewellery of Lord Jagannath. However, it is only during the Rath Yatra that they part ways. Perhaps, to indicate that parting ways is essential to take the journey towards him.
