With three days to go for the famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, final touches are being given to the preparations for the grand event at the coastal town of Puri on June 25. Every year, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is witnessed by lakhs of devotees from all corners of the world.
Three chariots have already been constructed for the deities — Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra. Traditional artists are painting fresh and glowing colours on different idols.
The body of the three chariots which will be draped with multicoloured cloth two days before the Rath Yatra.
On the eve of the Rath Yatra, devotees can catch a glimpse of the three deities dressed gorgeously on the occasion of the Naba Jaubana Besha Darshan. In accordance with traditional rituals, the deities can be seen for the first time after the gap of a fortnight over which they remain secluded in the anasara ghaa (retiring room) of the 12th Century temple. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) is expecting a huge turnout of devotees for the day.
“There will be CCTV surveillance on rituals that will be performed outside the temple. Nobody, including the servitors, would be allowed to touch the idols. The administration is in constant touch with the servitors to ensure the Rath Yatra passes off peacefully,” said Laxmidhar Pujapanda, a spokesperson for SJTA.
Meanwhile, State police is gearing up to have a massive security cover in place for the event.
