Puri: The Gajapati king of Puri Divya Singha Deva today performed 'Chhera Pahanra', a ritual of sweeping the chariots before they were pulled by scores of devotees of Lord Jagannath.

The ritual has a clear social message that all are equal before the Lord, said Rabinarayan Mishra, a researcher in the Jagannath cult. He said the ritual is being performed during the Rath Yatra for centuries to give a clear message to the society that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and any other barrier before the almighty.