After Puri and Mahesh, it’s Mahishadal—Jagannath Dev and Gopalji return home on the reverse chariot

**Special Correspondent, Mahishadal:**

After the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri and the Rath in Mahesh, the Rath of Mahishadal in East Medinipur is known as one of Bengal's most traditional chariots. Every year, a flood of devotees gathers around this Rath Yatra, which carries a legacy of nearly two and a half centuries.

History states that this massive wooden chariot was built in 1776 under the initiative of Queen Janki Devi of Mahishadal. This chariot, with 13 spires, stands about 70 feet tall, making it one of the tallest wooden chariots in India. Lord Jagannath and Lord Madan Gopal reside in this chariot.

Today was the day of the reverse chariot. After a few days of visiting their maternal uncle's house, Lord Jagannath and Madan Gopal returned to their own temple. From morning, religious rituals, special prayers, and the offering of food were completed before the deities were placed in the chariot.

According to tradition, first, the current members of the Mahishadal royal family pull the ropes of the chariot. Then thousands of devotees together pull the chariot along the designated path. The entire Mahishadal resonates with the devotees' chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Harinam'. There was tight security on both sides of the chariot and special monitoring by the administration.

As every year, this time too, numerous visitors and devotees from various parts of the state gathered in Mahishadal to witness this historic reverse chariot festival. The confluence of religious emotion, tradition, and devotion has made the reverse chariot festival of Mahishadal one of the main attractions of East Medinipur.