Bhubaneswar, April 12: In preparation for the upcoming Chandan Yatra festival, a group of 30 Bhoi servitors on Sunday retrieved five traditional wooden boats from the sacred Narendra Pond in Puri. The retrieval took place on the occasion of Chaitra Purnima, as per temple customs, marking the start of preparations for the 42-day-long Chandan Yatra, which begins on Akshaya Tritiya.

According to tradition, these boats — including the notable Nanda and Bhadra — are submerged in the holy waters of Narendra Tirtha after the conclusion of the previous year’s festival. On the full moon day of Chaitra, the Bhoi servitors recover them to begin repair and restoration work so they can be used again for the festival.

Chandan Yatra, also known as the Sandalwood Voyage, is one of the most revered rituals of Lord Jagannath. During this festival, the deities — including Lord Jagannath, the Pancha Pandavas, Sridevi, and Bhudevi — are ceremoniously taken in a grand procession from the temple's Singhadwara to the Narendra Pond for ritual baths.

The festival unfolds in two phases: Bahara Chandana (21 days of outdoor procession) followed by Bhitara Chandana (21 days of rituals inside the temple premises).

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