Grand Puri Rath Yatra begins as Lord Jagannath's divine procession captivates devotees

Bhubaneswar: The world-renowned Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced with great religious fervour in Odisha's holy town of Puri on Thursday as the sacred 'Pahandi Bije' ritual began ahead of schedule, marking the start of the annual chariot festival.

During the elaborate ritual, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra were ceremoniously escorted from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to their magnificently decorated chariots amid the resonating sounds of traditional instruments such as the ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet) and telingi baja.

Priests recited Vedic hymns while Odissi dancers performed devotional presentations to welcome the deities as they embarked on their nine-day journey to the Gundicha Temple, believed to be the birthplace and garden abode of Lord Jagannath.

Following tradition, Lord Krishna's celestial weapon, Chakraraj Sudarshan, was first placed on Devi Subhadra's chariot. It was followed by the ceremonial procession of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and finally Lord Jagannath in the revered 'Dhadi Pahandi' ritual, during which the deities move in a closely coordinated procession.

After the completion of the Pahandi ritual, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, accompanied by his disciples, offered prayers to the deities on their chariots. Thereafter, Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb, regarded as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, performed the traditional 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual by ceremonially sweeping the chariots with a golden broom.

Once these rituals conclude, devotees pull the three grand chariots—Nandighosha of Lord Jagannath, Taladhwaja of Lord Balabhadra and Darpadalana of Devi Subhadra—on a nearly three-kilometre journey to the Gundicha Temple.

Lakhs of devotees gathered in Puri from across the country to witness the festival and participate in pulling the chariots. The atmosphere echoed with chants of "Jai Jagannath" and "Hari Bol" as devotees sang, danced and celebrated the occasion with deep devotion.

The Rath Yatra is observed every year on Dwitiya Tithi, the second day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Ashadha, a period considered highly auspicious in the Hindu calendar.

To ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, the Odisha government has put in place extensive security and crowd-management arrangements. More than 13,000 police personnel, supported by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been deployed across Puri.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy have also been placed on alert to monitor the coastal region and prevent any unlawful activities, while 19 senior IPS officers are overseeing the overall security operations during the festival.

With inputs from IANS