Grand Start to Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri

The famous Jagannath Rath Yatra began with great celebration in Puri, Odisha on Friday. Lakhs of devotees from across India and the world gathered to witness this sacred event. The streets of Puri were filled with chants of "Jai Jagannath" as people waited eagerly to pull the holy chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra on their journey to the Gundicha Temple.

This nine-day festival begins every year on the second day of the Ashadha month (according to the Hindu calendar). Devotees believe that the Gundicha Temple is the birthplace of Lord Jagannath. The chariots – Nandighosh for Lord Jagannath, Taladhwaj for Balabhadra, and Darpadalana for Subhadra – are pulled by devotees along a 3-km route from the main temple.

To ensure safety, the government deployed around 10,000 police personnel, including forces from CRPF and BSF. For the first time, about 275 AI-powered CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the crowd and traffic. A central command center was also set up to manage the entire event smoothly.