Satya Narayan Mahapatra Bhabanipatana

Thefamous Chhatar Yatra of Goddess Manikeswari was celebrated with deep spiritual fervour on Monday in Bhabanipatana, drawing over four lakh devotees who gathered to offer prayers to the deity’s movable shrine. As part of the traditional rituals, thousands of animal and bird sacrifices are performed by devotees during the procession.

Following the sacred Mahashtami rituals on Sunday night, temple ‘sevayats’ carried the movable shrine of Maa Manikeswari’s Chhatar to Jenakhal at midnight. The procession moved to the traditional, sacred beats of the ‘jena badya’ drums. Upon arrival, the Chhatar was placed in a temporary pandal, where secret rituals were solemnly performed.

The historic Chhatar Yatra festival commenced from Jenakhal at 5 am on Monday, with the sacred Chhatar Vijay Yatra proceeding along a 3 km route to the main temple. Devotees lined the streets to warmly welcome the deity throughout the spiritual procession. Senior district administration officials and Kalahandi SP Nagaraj Devarakonda were present on-site to closely monitor the event.

To ensure a peaceful Chhatar Yatra, 15 police platoons and 95 officers were deployed. The sacred Chhatar reached the temple at 7.40 am. In keeping with tradition, the Yuvraj of Kalahandi, Advait Pratap Deo, received the deity from the Chhatra Bahak and escorted it into the Garba Gruha (sanctum sanctorum). Thanks to these measures and community cooperation, the festival concluded peacefully.