Over 10 lakh devotees attend Puri Rath Yatra; chariot pulling to resume Friday

Puri, Devotees of Lord Jagannath and his siblings will get another opportunity to pull the chariots on Friday as none of the three chariots reached the Shree Gundicha Temple due to a delay in the 'Pahandi' rituals, an official said.

Lord Balabhadra's Taladhwaja chariot, which began moving at 5.10 pm against its scheduled time of 4 pm, stopped at Market Chhak after covering around 700 metres on the Grand Road.

The chariots have to cover 2.6 km from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to reach the Gundicha Temple.


Similarly, Devi Subhadra's Darpadalana chariot halted at Marichikote Chhak after covering around 400 metres, while Lord Jagannath's Nandighosha chariot was pulled only for a few yards and remained near Singhadwar (Lion's Gate), officials said.

While the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) estimated that 10-12 lakh devotees participated in the Rath Yatra, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) put the turnout at 8-9 lakh.

"There was absolutely no delay in rituals, but the Pahandi was delayed by over one hour. Lord Jagannath's idol did not move for about 40 minutes at the main gate, due to which the Pahandi was delayed," SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters.

Padhee said the chariot pulling would resume at 9.30 am on Friday and the deities would remain on the chariots overnight. The sibling deities would stay on the chariots on Friday night as well, while the entry procession into the Gundicha Temple would be held on Saturday, he added.

He said that despite adverse weather conditions, all rituals were completed on time, but the movement of Lord Jagannath's idol was delayed by 40 minutes, affecting the chariot pulling schedule.

On the absence of the traditional 'Tahika' (ornate floral crown) during Lord Jagannath's Pahandi ritual, Padhee said it was removed as it became wet and heavy due to rain.

The chariot pulling began after the ceremonial 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping of chariots) by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and the visit of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, a temple official said.

Amid chants of "Hari Bol", beating of cymbals and blowing of trumpets and conch shells, a large number of devotees witnessed the festival as the rain subsided.

Earlier, the idols of the deities were carried to the chariots through the 'Pahandi' ceremonial procession. Lord Sudarshan was the first to board the chariot, followed by Devi Subhadra, Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath, officials said.

According to Pandit Suryanarayan Rath Sharma, Sudarshan is the divine wheel weapon of Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped in Puri in the form of Lord Jagannath.

Special arrangements were made to drain rainwater from the Grand Road and facilitate the procession, as devotees will continue pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from the temple to the Gundicha Temple.

The annual Rath Yatra is held on the second day of the Odia month of 'Ashadha Shukla Tithi' and is the only occasion when the sibling deities are taken out from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the bejewelled throne of the temple.

Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirit of devotees, who were seen dancing and celebrating on the Grand Road.

According to an India Meteorological Department official, Puri received 233 mm of rainfall since Tuesday and is likely to receive light to moderate rain on Friday.

Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed preparations for the festival and directed officials to ensure the safety and convenience of devotees.

As waterlogging emerged as a major challenge, he directed the Puri district administration, municipal authorities and other departments to remain alert and take swift measures to clear water.

DGP Y B Khurania said multi-layer security arrangements had been put in place in Puri, with 19 IPS officers and nearly 13,000 police personnel deployed for the festival.

Fifteen companies of Central Armed Police Forces, including the CRPF, BSF, RAF and National Security Guard, have also been stationed at strategic locations.

A total of 473 AI-enabled CCTV cameras, integrated with drone-jamming systems, are monitoring the Grand Road and adjoining areas through two command-and-control centres, officials said.

A joint patrolling system involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Odisha Police Maritime Station has also been set up, and quick response teams are deployed.

Over 500 lifeguards and fire service personnel have been stationed along the beachfront to ensure visitor safety and prevent any possible incidents of drowning, the officials added.