Devotees in large numbers thronged the Mausima temple in Baripada to witness the Suna Besha or Dwarika Besha of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra on Friday. Dwarika Besha is unique to Rath Yatra celebrations here as the Deities are adorned with golden ornaments before they return to the main temple in Bahuda Yatra unlike in other parts of the state when Suna Besha is observed after the three return to the main temple from their nine-day sojourn.
While the Deities were brought to their chariots after the Suna Besha rituals were over, the pulling of chariots begins a day after. On Saturday, chariots of Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra would be pulled by devotees. As per tradition, the chariot of Devi Subhadra, Darpadalana, will be pulled only by women devotees. The practice dates back to 1975 and was started by women leaders like Chandrika Mohapatra and Kalpana Sarangi on International Women’s Day. While the chariot of Lord Jagannath will be pulled to the main temple on the day, pulling of Darpadalana would stop in the evening and resume on Sunday. Similarly, chariot of Lord Balabhadra will be pulled on Sunday.