Puri, Jul 18: The Adapa Mandap Bije ritual concluded successfully on Saturday night as the Chaturdha Murati --Lord Sudarshana, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath -- were ceremonially escorted into the Gundicha Temple in the traditional 'Goti Pahandi' procession.

The preparations began at around 4 pm and concluded at around 11 pm with the ceremonial entry of Lord Jagannath into the Adapa Mandap.

Under the Goti Pahandi tradition, each deity is carried into the temple only after the previous deity has been ceremonially seated inside the Adapa Mandap, making the procession a sequential and highly choreographed ritual.

The Tahia -- the magnificent ceremonial floral headgear crafted by the servitors of Raghav Das Math -- adorned Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra during the procession, adding grandeur to the sacred ceremony.

The Adapa Mandap Bije is one of the most revered rituals of the annual Rath Yatra. It marks the ceremonial entry of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshana into the Gundicha Temple, where the deities will remain for the next six days before the Bahuda Yatra (return car festival).

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On Friday, the three chariots -- Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana -- reached Saradhabali in front of the Gundicha Temple after the second day's chariot pulling. Thousands of devotees thronged the shrine to offer prayers and have darshan of the deities atop their chariots.

It is widely believed that a single darshan of Lord Jagannath at the Adapa Mandap bestows immense spiritual merit. Devotees will be allowed to have darshan of the Holy Trinity inside the Gundicha Temple from Sunday.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) made elaborate security, crowd management and medical arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the rituals and facilitate the large influx of pilgrims.