The nine-day Gupta Gundicha Yatra has commenced in Srikhetra, marking a rare and unique tradition where Lord Durga and Lord Madhava journey together in a chariot-shaped palanquin to the Narayani Temple in Dolamandapa Sahi.
Rooted in legend, this festival stems from Lord Jagannath leaving Goddess Mahalakshmi behind during the main Sri Gundicha Yatra, leading to this ritual to appease the Goddess. Commencing on the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwina, the festival is a distinctive feature of Srikhetra's Shakta tradition.
For the first eight days of Shola Puja, the deities are worshipped within the Srimandir. Following the morning offering (Sakala Dhupa) and receiving the ritual garland of command, Durga and Madhava process through the Jaya-Vijaya Gate to the Bimana Ratha. At the Narayani Temple, devotees perform the Bandapana ritual, offering camphor-infused water and Mandua bhoga. The deities then return to the Srimandir via the Bahuda Bije procession after the evening Sandhya Dhupa ritual, upholding a sacred tradition unseen anywhere else.