Temple run
Premium

Glimpses of the rath yatra at the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad, held after a two-year break

July 04, 2022 04:19 pm | Updated July 07, 2022 11:40 am IST

Married women perform rituals during the Jal Yatra near the Lord Jagannath Temple ahead of the rath yatra in Ahmedabad.

Married women perform rituals during the Jal Yatra near the Lord Jagannath Temple ahead of the rath yatra in Ahmedabad.

At 6.56 a.m. on July 1, under skies overcast with monsoon clouds, the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad was packed to capacity. The Gujarat Chief Minister, along with the temple’s head priest, swept the ground with golden brooms and cleared the path for Lord Jagannath’s main chariot. Traditionally, the king of the state would have had the honour, but that tradition is now followed by the Chief Minister. The devotees soon pulled the chariot to start the 18-km procession in the Old City, through communally sensitive areas such as Jamalpur, Kalupur, Shahpur and Dariyapur before returning to the temple — the full-fledged event is taking place after two years of a pandemic-induced break.

An artist gives final touches to the main chariot.

An artist gives final touches to the main chariot.

A motorised paraglider takes off for aerial surveillance.

A motorised paraglider takes off for aerial surveillance.

Devotees having darshan at at the Jamalpur temple ahead of the yatra.

Devotees having darshan at at the Jamalpur temple ahead of the yatra.

Security personnel perform a rehearsal.

Security personnel perform a rehearsal.

Members of the Sufi Islamic Board and saints greet Shri Dilipdasji Maharaj, head priest of the Lord Jagannath Temple.

Members of the Sufi Islamic Board and saints greet Shri Dilipdasji Maharaj, head priest of the Lord Jagannath Temple.

Policewomen taking a moment off from their duty.

Policewomen taking a moment off from their duty.

More than 25,000 police and other security personnel kept vigil during the yatra. For the first time, the police used a helicopter and one motorised glider for aerial surveillance.

“This year, we celebrated the yatra with pomp and show with accompanying orchestra and to give a glamorous touch to the function,” a city-based businessman Rauf Sheikh Bengali said.

In tableaux, artists paid tributes to cricket legend Shane Warne, COVID care centres and themes of contemporary relevance.

The chariot on the temple premises.

The chariot on the temple premises.

Muslims welcome with rose petals the yatra at the Jamalpur mosque.

Muslims welcome with rose petals the yatra at the Jamalpur mosque.

People watch the yatra from a terrace.

People watch the yatra from a terrace.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.