As the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, of Lord Jagannath and his siblings began in Odisha’s Puri on tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Jagannath Mandir in Hauz Khas in the national capital Delhi.
One of the well-known Hindu festivals that is observed all around the world is the Rath Yatra. Lord Jagannath is connected to the Yatra at Shri Kshetra Puri Dham in Odisha. The public can view the idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, who are mounted on magnificent chariots, at Puri and go to the Gundicha Temple. The three majestic chariots are pulled by lakhs of devotees from in front of the Singha Dwar of Jagannath Temple towards the Gundicha Temple
Early morning devotees were seen thronging the temple premises ahead of the Rath Yatra.
The Yatra, which starts from the Puri temple, will conclude at the Shree Gundicha temple, covering nearly a 3-kilometre distance. While the Taladhwaja of Lord Balabhadra will roll on the Puri Grand Road, first, the Darpadalana of Devi Subhadra will trail. and Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha, the largest of the three chariots, will move after the two. The chariots are expected to reach the Shree Gundicha Temple before sunset today.
After a nine-day sojourn at the Shree Gundicha temple, the deities will return to the Shree Mandir on the same chariots called ‘Bahuda Yatra’ or return car festival on June 28.
Security was also stepped up to ensure smooth functioning. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad’s 146th Rath Yatra got under way this morning at the Jagannathji Temple. Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, participated in the ‘Mangla Aarti’ (a religious ceremony) at the Jagannath temple in the Jamalpur neighbourhood of the city while visiting Gujarat for a day.
After the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra, the ‘Ratha Yatra’ Festival celebrated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is regarded as the second-largest Rath Yatra in the nation.
The Hindu holiday of Rath Yatra is observed on the second day of the two-week long Ashadha month, which falls on June 20 this year.
Hindu texts including the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, and Kapila Samhita all illustrate its past.