The sacred festival of Neeladri Bije was celebrated with deep devotion and traditional fervour at the Devbhoomi Temple premises in Jindal Nagar. Thousands of devotees from Jindal Nagar and nearby villages gathered to witness the divine return of Mahaprabhu Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, Mahaprabhu Jagannath, and Lord Sudarshan to their sanctum.
Shallu Jindal, Pratham Sevika of Mahaprabhu, Chairperson of the Jindal Foundation and consort of Naveen Jindal—Pratham Sevak, three-time Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), and Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power— performed all the sacred rituals under the guidance of ritual advisor of Sri Srikant Ji.
The day began with traditional rituals such as Rath Shodha, Manima Dak, and Dwara Phita, followed by sacred ceremonies like Mangal Aarati, Tadapa Lagi, and Abakash Neeti. The deities were adorned in special vesha (attire), and Vedic rituals such as Rosha Homa, Surya Puja, and Dwarpal Puja were performed with full sanctity.
Spiritual offerings, including Gopal Ballabh, Vesha Aarati, and Sarbasadharan Darshan, allowed devotees to behold the divine forms of the deities. Midday rituals such as Madhhyam Dhoopa (Sukhila Prasad) and Pahuda were followed by evening rituals like Pahuda Phita, Sandhya Aarati, Bhajans, and Kirtans, which created a deep spiritual ambiance at the temple and the Rath Khala.
Devotees also witnessed Jatrangi Bhog, Bada Bandapana, and the ceremonial Mangalarpana by the Prime Servitors. The highlight of the evening was the spiritually significant Goti Pahandi, during which Maa Mahalakshmi performs the divine staring ritual (Chahani) at the Chahani Mandap as Mahaprabhu returns in a ceremonious procession.
Devotees expressed immense joy in witnessing the Puri Sri Mandir like rituals of Neeladri Bije, including Rundha, Rasagola Bhog, Badasinghar, and Pahuda. The celebration left the devotees spiritually enriched and deeply connected to the divine presence of Mahaprabhu.
While surrendering before Mahaprabhu Jagannath Sri Chaturdhamurti, Smt. Shallu Jindal expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the local community and all Jindalites for successfully conducting the grand Rath Yatra for four consecutive years adhering to all ritual sanctities.
Jindal, on behalf of the Jindal Parivar, rendered her sincere prayers before Mahaprabhu Jagannath to shower His Blessings upon the People of Angul and Odisha and upon all Indians. She also extended her sincere thanks to the entire workforce, sevayats, media, local administration, community members, and the local management for their dedicated efforts in making this spiritual celebration a grand success.
Smt Jindal also thanked the Team Jindal Foundation for serving over 2 million hot cooked meals comprising Ghee Rice, Dalma and Khatta from the live kitchen at Puri Rathyatra.
(India CSR)
