Puri, July 23 -- Devotees gathered at Adapa Mandapa for the final darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Maa Subhadra ahead of the Bahuda Yatra scheduled for July 24.

As part of the rituals associated with the Bahuda Yatra, Poda Pitha, a traditional delicacy deeply associated with devotion and motherly love, is offered as bhog to Lord Jagannath when the three chariots pass the Mausi Maa Temple on Bada Danda.

The offering is considered a symbol of affection and reverence during the return journey of the deities.

According to the Skanda Purana, during the great deluge at the beginning of creation, Maa Mausi Maa consumed half of the rising waters. As she absorbed the waters of the deluge, she came to be known as Ardhashini.

It is...