Thronged by devotees after 2 years, Puri braces for Rath Yatra tomorrow

The Rath Yatra of Odisha’s Puri, the annual procession of the three deities of the Jagannath temple – Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra – will be celebrated on Friday (July 1) in the presence of devotees after a gap of two years.

The annual event was held in 2020 and 2021 amid strict restrictions with any gathering of devotees – who throng Puri in lakhs to participate in the festival –being banned in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival is celebrated every year on the Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi of Ashadha (second day in bright fortnight of Ashadha month) month as per the Hindu calendar.

The procession marks the beginning of the annual sojourn of the three deities to the nearby Gundicha temple, the home of Queen Gundicha.

On Rath Yatra day, devotees, irrespective of caste, religions and nationalities pull the chariots – Nandighosha of Lord Jagannath, Taladwaja of Lord Balabhadra and Darpadalana of Devi Subhadra – of the triads to the Gundicha Temple every year, in a grand procession on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) of Puri.

After eight days of stay at the Gundicha temple, the deities return to the Srimandir (Jagannath Temple) in a procession called Bahuda Yatra.

Reports said, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday virtually reviewed the preparations for the festival and asked officials to ensure that people must have a great experience.

Around 50 carpenters were engaged to build the chariots of the deities.

Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad

The festival is also celebrated in Jagannath temples across the country and the world.

In an announcement, the Ahmedabad city police on Wednesday announced traffic diversions and laid out the final route for the procession of the chariots.

Reports said, the procession in Ahmedabad will start from Jamalpur Darwaza at around 7 am and culminate at Saraspur, following an aarti by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Also Read: Rath Yatra: Chariots roll in Puri as Jagannath, siblings head for aunt’s home

In a tweet, the Ahmedabad Police said: “The video released will render all important information about the yatra like which roads will be closed, its alternative routes, parking arrangements and arrangements made for railway passengers.”

The Dwitiya Tithi will commence at 10:49 am on June 30 and will end at 1:09 pm on July 1. The homecoming of the lord, known as Bahuda Yatra will fall on July 9. On this day the deities are decked up in gold in a ritual called the ‘Suna Besha’. This will be followed by ‘Aadhar Pana’ ritual on July 11 where a special drink is offered to the deities.

As per reports, the Jagannath Temple Trust has hinted that about three to four lakh devotees are expected to join the procession from across the state.

As informed, around 25,000 personnel of the Gujarat Police and other security agencies will be deployed for the yatra.