Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the people on the occasion of Rath Yatra, noting that it is a radiant expression of India’s timeless spiritual and cultural heritage. The festival, which takes place annually, involves the pulling of chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath from the Shri Jagannath temple to the Shree Gundicha temple in Puri, Odisha.
Lakhs of devotees gather to be a part of the grand festival, which is also celebrated in other parts of the country. Modi took to social media to express his greetings, stating that the traditions associated with the Rath Yatra have inspired generations across India and the world, embodying humility, collective participation, and selfless service.
The Prime Minister also prayed that Mahaprabhu Jagannath bless everyone with good health, happiness, and prosperity, and give strength for all endeavors, while deepening the spirit of togetherness in society. Meanwhile, the 149th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath rolled out in Ahmedabad under heavy security, with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performing the traditional ‘Pahind Vidhi’ to mark its commencement.
The annual procession, taken out every year on Ashadhi Bij, began at around 7 am from the 400-year-old Lord Jagannath temple in Jamalpur, with over 30,000 security personnel deployed to ensure a peaceful procession. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the temple earlier in the day to participate in the pre-dawn ‘Mangla Aarti’ before the deities’ idols were placed on their respective chariots.
The procession, stretching up to 1.5 km, comprises the three chariots, 18 decorated elephants, around 100 trucks carrying tableaux, nearly 30 akhadas, religious congregations, and about 20 bhajan mandalis. Nearly 15 lakh devotees are expected to gather at the temple and along the 16-km route to witness the procession, which will pass through communally sensitive localities before returning at around 9 pm after nearly 14 hours.
The security arrangement includes nearly 1,100 senior officers, 3,000 State Reserve Police personnel, five companies of the Rapid Action Force, four companies of the Border Security Force, and three specialized Chetak commando teams. More than 250 rooftop surveillance points and another 250 ‘deep points’ inside the bylanes along the route have been created to monitor the procession and sensitive areas.
