An estimated 9 lakh devotees witnessed the world famous 'Ratha Yatra' of Lord Jagannath on Wednesday with religious fervour, enthusiasm and a spirit of camaraderie amid tight security.
Instead of the usual cavalcade of around 100 trucks, decked up elephants, akhadas and singing troupes, this year's procession consisted of only three chariots, pulled by nearly 100 youths from the Khalasi community, and four to five other vehicles.
Amid tight security and monitoring by two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the 136th Lord Jagannath rath yatra began in Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning.
The chariot, with the new set of tyres, will carry Lord Jagannath on this year's Rath Yatra which will be held on June 27.
During the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra are carried from their home temple to another temple, located in what is believed to be their aunt's home.
Thousands of devotees joined the rathyatra of Lord Jagannath, which began in Ahmedabad on Tuesday morning from the Jagganath temple in Jamalpur amid tight security.
Amid tight security, the 137th edition of Lord Jagannath's rathyatra began in Ahmedabad on Sunday morning from the ancient Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area.
The total length of rath yatra procession stretches up to 1.5 km. It will return to the temple after almost 11 hours of journey.
The Lord Jagannath Rathyatra, began on Thursday morning from the 400-year-old Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad, amidst tight security arrangements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannath's annual car festival.
The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri district collector Siddharth S Swain said.
More than 600 people have visited hospitals and medical camps in Puri. However, only over 130 have been admitted to hospital, said Director of Health Services, Bijay Mohapatra.
One person was injured on Friday during the Rath Yatra procession in Ahmedabad, when a male elephant, agitated by excessive noise, broke a barricade and rushed into a narrow lane, officials said.
The Jagannath temple has fostered Odisha's regional cooking styles and preserved local food traditions.
Around 70 people were undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital in Puri, with nine reported to be in critical condition, an official said.
The festival, however, will be different this time as the number of pilgrims and devotees would be cut down considerably after the recent floods played spoilsport and snapped transport lines connecting West Bengal and Orissa
Chants of 'Jai Jagannath' rent the air all over as the news about the Supreme Court giving its nod for holding the world famous car festival in the pilgrim town reached the state bringing cheers among people, irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
"It is a matter of faith for crores. If Lord Jagannath will not come out tomorrow, he cannot come out for 12 years as per traditions," said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra.
The Supreme Court had on Monday allowed the holding of the Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri, a ground on which the Gujarat government had moved its plea.
Modifying its June 18 order in which it had said that this year's Yatra cannot be allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the apex court permitted holding of the Yatra after taking note of Odisha government's stand that it 'can be held in a limited way without public attendance'.
Chief Secretary A K Tripathy and Director General of Police (DGP) Abhay rushed to the pilgrim town to make the necessary arrangements. "The DGP and I are rushing to Puri to take stock of the situation as per the direction of the chief minister. We will camp there," Tripathy said.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with his disciples, paid obeisance to the idols on their respective chariots.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said it will set up an exclusive healthcare centre for the families of servitors. Ahead of the Rath Yatra, a massive sample collection exercise was conducted on Monday night and one servitor had tested positive, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said.
Samples of 1,143 servitors were tested on Monday night, as per directives of the Supreme Court.
'Lord Jagannath won't forgive us if we allow this year's Rath Yatra to go on'
The incident happened around 4.30 pm in Kumarghat area during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival of Lord Jagannath organised by ISKCON, they said.
A month ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, on July 12, the Odisha government on Thursday announced that this year, too, devotees will be barred from participating in the festival, which will only be held in Puri amid strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
The elaborate rituals, which commenced early in the morning, concluded after the three wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra reached their destination at Gundicha Temple from Sri Mandir well before evening.
Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and his family members on Saturday attended the Rath Yatra in Puri and offered prayers. Accompanied by wife Priti, son Karan and other family members, Adani paid obeisance to Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath, by standing in front of their chariots near Gundicha Temple, considered the deities' aunt's house.
The incident happened around 4.30 pm in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival organised by ISKCON, they said. During this festival, the sibling deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhdara and Lord Jagannath -- return to their abode in a chariot, a week after Rath Yatra.
The Odisha government is working to secure copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, following concerns over untimely celebrations by ISKCON and the declaration of a temple in Digha as 'Jagannath Dham'.
Amid high alert and tight security in the wake of serial blasts at Bodh Gaya, the world famous annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath celebrated on Wednesday with fanfare, religious fervour and a spirit of camaraderie.
Over ten lakh devotees witnessed the world famous annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath held in Puri on Sunday with fanfare, religious fervour and enthusiasm amid tight security as the practice of people climbing the chariots was stopped in a major reform initiative.
Around 10 lakh people are expected to gather for the festival in the temple town from across the country, and some foreign nations, director of health service Bijay Mohapatra said.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said he had directed the state Advocate General to approach the high court and request it to allow the annual procession. The HC had on Saturday stayed the procession in the light of coronavirus pandemic in Ahmedabad.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) has formed a sub-committee, headed by former Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu, to suggest measures to ensure full protection of the temple in light of recent security breaches.
Built on around 24 acres of land using red sandstone quarried from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan, the Jagannath Temple at Digha, also known as Jagannath Dham, is an "architectural marvel, a mixture of intricate carvings and traditional design," an official said.
Thousands of devotees poured in with religious fervour and enthusiasm to take part in the grand spectacle of the annual Rath Yatra keeping in with centuries old tradition of pulling majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother and sister.
The CM appointed Khurda district collector Chanchal Rana as the new collector of Puri.
Aiming to spread the message of communal harmony, peace and team spirit, the Ahmedabad Police will organise cricket tournaments in communally-sensitive areas in the old city ahead of Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 1, a police officer said on Monday.
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