Rain fails to dampen fervour as lakhs gather in Puri for Jagannath Rath Yatra
Lakhs of devotees gathered in rain-soaked Puri as the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra commenced with the sacred Pahandi ritual and elaborate religious ceremonies.
Amid relentless monsoon showers, chants of "Jai Jagannath" echoed across Puri on Thursday as the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra commenced, drawing lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad to one of the world's largest and oldest religious processions.
Nearly two lakh pilgrims had already arrived in the holy town ahead of the festival, prompting authorities to put in place elaborate security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements. The enhanced security measures come a year after a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple claimed three lives and left several others injured during the Rath Yatra.
Braving heavy rain, thousands of devotees lined the 2.6-km ceremonial route from the early hours, eagerly waiting for the sacred Pahandi ritual. During the ceremony, the sibling deities are brought out of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple and placed on their towering wooden chariots.
The deities then begin their annual journey to the Shree Gundicha Temple, revered as their birthplace, marking the commencement of the world-famous Rath Yatra. According to the festival schedule, the Pahandi ritual was held between 9 am and 1 pm.
Following the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra, during which Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, symbolically swept the chariots with a golden broom, the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will begin rolling at 4 pm.
Beyond Puri, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is also celebrated with equal religious fervour across several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, drawing large crowds of devotees who participate in ceremonial chariot processions and prayers.
The customary visit of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati also took place before the chariots commenced their journey, temple officials said.
A multi-layered security cover has been thrown around the coastal town, with nearly 13,000 personnel from the Odisha Police, central armed forces, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard deployed.
Authorities said surveillance, traffic regulation, emergency response and crowd control have been significantly strengthened to manage the massive turnout of devotees.
Officials said a comprehensive crowd-management strategy has been put in place this year to prevent a repeat of the tragedy as the annual festival unfolds amid heavy rain and an expected surge in pilgrims.
Puri received 143.8 mm of rainfall on the eve of the festival, while the India Meteorological Department forecast more rain and thunderstorms during the day. To ensure the procession remains uninterrupted, the administration deployed pumps and drainage systems to prevent waterlogging along the Grand Road, where the chariots will be pulled.
Amid relentless monsoon showers, chants of "Jai Jagannath" echoed across Puri on Thursday as the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra commenced, drawing lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad to one of the world's largest and oldest religious processions.
Nearly two lakh pilgrims had already arrived in the holy town ahead of the festival, prompting authorities to put in place elaborate security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements. The enhanced security measures come a year after a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple claimed three lives and left several others injured during the Rath Yatra.
Braving heavy rain, thousands of devotees lined the 2.6-km ceremonial route from the early hours, eagerly waiting for the sacred Pahandi ritual. During the ceremony, the sibling deities are brought out of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple and placed on their towering wooden chariots.
The deities then begin their annual journey to the Shree Gundicha Temple, revered as their birthplace, marking the commencement of the world-famous Rath Yatra. According to the festival schedule, the Pahandi ritual was held between 9 am and 1 pm.
Following the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra, during which Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, symbolically swept the chariots with a golden broom, the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will begin rolling at 4 pm.
Beyond Puri, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is also celebrated with equal religious fervour across several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, drawing large crowds of devotees who participate in ceremonial chariot processions and prayers.
The customary visit of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati also took place before the chariots commenced their journey, temple officials said.
A multi-layered security cover has been thrown around the coastal town, with nearly 13,000 personnel from the Odisha Police, central armed forces, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard deployed.
Authorities said surveillance, traffic regulation, emergency response and crowd control have been significantly strengthened to manage the massive turnout of devotees.
Officials said a comprehensive crowd-management strategy has been put in place this year to prevent a repeat of the tragedy as the annual festival unfolds amid heavy rain and an expected surge in pilgrims.
Puri received 143.8 mm of rainfall on the eve of the festival, while the India Meteorological Department forecast more rain and thunderstorms during the day. To ensure the procession remains uninterrupted, the administration deployed pumps and drainage systems to prevent waterlogging along the Grand Road, where the chariots will be pulled.
Amid relentless monsoon showers, chants of "Jai Jagannath" echoed across Puri on Thursday as the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra commenced, drawing lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad to one of the world's largest and oldest religious processions.
Nearly two lakh pilgrims had already arrived in the holy town ahead of the festival, prompting authorities to put in place elaborate security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements. The enhanced security measures come a year after a stampede near the Shree Gundicha Temple claimed three lives and left several others injured during the Rath Yatra.
Braving heavy rain, thousands of devotees lined the 2.6-km ceremonial route from the early hours, eagerly waiting for the sacred Pahandi ritual. During the ceremony, the sibling deities are brought out of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple and placed on their towering wooden chariots.
The deities then begin their annual journey to the Shree Gundicha Temple, revered as their birthplace, marking the commencement of the world-famous Rath Yatra. According to the festival schedule, the Pahandi ritual was held between 9 am and 1 pm.
Following the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra, during which Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, symbolically swept the chariots with a golden broom, the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will begin rolling at 4 pm.
Beyond Puri, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is also celebrated with equal religious fervour across several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, drawing large crowds of devotees who participate in ceremonial chariot processions and prayers.
The customary visit of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati also took place before the chariots commenced their journey, temple officials said.
A multi-layered security cover has been thrown around the coastal town, with nearly 13,000 personnel from the Odisha Police, central armed forces, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard deployed.
Authorities said surveillance, traffic regulation, emergency response and crowd control have been significantly strengthened to manage the massive turnout of devotees.
Officials said a comprehensive crowd-management strategy has been put in place this year to prevent a repeat of the tragedy as the annual festival unfolds amid heavy rain and an expected surge in pilgrims.
Puri received 143.8 mm of rainfall on the eve of the festival, while the India Meteorological Department forecast more rain and thunderstorms during the day. To ensure the procession remains uninterrupted, the administration deployed pumps and drainage systems to prevent waterlogging along the Grand Road, where the chariots will be pulled.
