Divya Singha Deb, the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, on Tuesday ritualistically swept the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings, before they are ceremoniously pulled by devotees.
The titular king of Puri, clad in a spotless white attire and carried in a silver-plated palanquin, climbed up on the chariots one by one, and swept the floors of the chariots using a broom with a golden handle, as priests sprinkled flowers and fragrant water.
He first offered prayers at Lord Balabhadra’s chariot ‘Taladhwaj’, then Lord Jagannath’s ‘Nadighosh’ and finally Devi Subhadra’s ‘Darpadalan’.
According to norms, the titular king of Puri is informed about the deities having taken their places on the chariots through a messenger specially deputed by the temple officials.
"The emperors of Orissa, beginning with the valiant Anantvarman Chodagangadeva in the 12th century, had declared themselves to be the "Rauta" (servant) of Lord Jagannath and ruled the land as His representative," the temple records said.
After cleaning the chariots by the titular king, known as “Chhera Pahanra”, and his departure to the palace, the wooden horses -- painted in brown, black and white colour -- are fixed to the three chariots and later pulled by devotees.
Before that ritual, the Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati along with his selected disciple visited the chariots and offered puja.
The ritual of a Maharaja sweeping the chariots gives a message that all are equal before the Lord, said Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher in the Jagannath cult.