Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: The festival is considered one of the biggest in Ahmedabad, devotees thronged Jagannath temple ahead of the yatra while thousands arrived in Odisha's Puri.
The idols of lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were seen being installed on a chariot ahead of Rath Yatra in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Tuesday morning. The Yatra is set to being from Jagannath Temple in the city, meanwhile, devotees thronged the temple premises to catch a glimpse of idols early in the morning. The 'Ratha Yatra' Festival celebrated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is considered to be the second biggest Rath Yatra in the country after the Puri Rath Yatra.
Thousands of devotees have also congregated at this seaside pilgrim town for Lord Jagannath's annual 'Ratha Jatra' for which the Odisha government has made elaborate arrangements. As many as 180 platoons (1 platoon comprises 30 personnel) of security forces were deployed in Puri, said Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur.
A total of 125 special trains will travel to Puri during the festival, an official said, adding, a large number of CCTV cameras assisted by drone cameras will function during the 'Rath Yatra', PTI reported.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said it is expecting a congregation of around 10 lakh people in Puri on Tuesday when the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath are pulled till the Shree Gundicha temple.
"The state government has made elaborate arrangements keeping in view the hot and humid weather conditions in Puri. Volunteers will sprinkle water on devotees, and a green corridor has also been formed for any health emergency," chief secretary P K Jena said.
The Yatra is associated with Lord Jagannath at Shri Kshetra Puri Dham in the state of Odisha, India.
As the yatra began, the crowd got larger and followed the chariots, the state chief minister Bhupendra Patel performed Pahind Vidhi on the occasion.
Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Dharmendra Pradhan met Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Tuesday morning, on the occasion of Jagannath Rath Yatra. In the video shared by ANI, they were seen taking blessings from the guru.
Pradhan told ANI he and his friends were lucky to meet the Swami on the occasion, which is something he tries to do every year. He said until the lord agrees to meet you, it is unlikely you will get an opportunity to meet the lord or be a part of the yatra.
Meanwhile, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a piece with lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra and installed 250 coconuts in the sand art, at Puri beach, ahead of Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023.
