Lakhs of devotees thronged the coastal town of Puri as the annual Rath Yatra festival got under way amid religious fervour on the morning of July 4.
Decorated chariots of sibling deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra were kept ready in front of the 12th- Century Shree Jagannath Temple, and servitors started elaborate rituals both inside and on the chariots from early morning.
The three deities are taken out in a chariot procession called Rath Yatra covering a 3-km distance along Grand Road connecting Shree Jagannath Temple and Mausima Temple every year. The deities will return to Shree Jagannath Temple on the ninth day.
As per legend, the deities come out of their abode annually to give darshan to all devotees, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. On normal days, not all devotees are allowed to enter the temple.
A sand artist creates a sculpture on the eve of Rath Yatra festival, at a beach in Puri, Wednesday, July 3, 2019.
Hordes of servitors carried the huge wooden idols from the temple, swaying them rhythmically in a ritual known as ‘pahandi.’ Idols were installed at three chariots called Taladhwaja, Debadalan and Nandighosha, which were freshly built with 765 logs for the Rath Yatra.
A total of 142 platoons of police force, two companies of Rapid Action Force, three units of Odisha State Armed Force, National Disaster Response Force teams and more than 1,000 police officers have been deployed to manage the crowd as well as thwart any attempt of sabotage.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wished the people on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra.
