Ahmedabad, July 16 (IANS) The 149th annual Jagannath Rath Yatra commenced from the historic Shree Jagannath Mandir in Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur on Thursday, with thousands of devotees gathering in the early hours to witness one of Gujarat’s largest religious processions.

The temple premises were illuminated with decorative lights, creating a festive atmosphere as devotees began arriving well before dawn for prayers and the ceremonial departure of the chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

Extensive security arrangements were put in place across the city, with Ahmedabad Police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other security agencies deployed along the procession route to ensure the event passed off peacefully.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said preparations for the annual procession had been completed ahead of its commencement.

“Preparations for the 149th Rath Yatra have been completed. It is around 2:30 a.m., and as you can see, the streets of Ahmedabad are still filled with thousands of youths and elderly people chanting ‘Jai Jagannath’. Preparations are underway in every lane to serve prasadi to Lord Jagannath’s devotees,” he said.

Devotees who gathered outside the temple spoke of their enthusiasm for the annual festival.

One devotee said, “I have come here for the first time to witness the Rath Yatra. My family, Laddu Gopal, and I have all come for the darshan.” Another devotee said, “I felt immense joy. Today, for the first time, I had the opportunity to have the darshan of Lord Jagannath in this way.”

A regular visitor to the procession said, “We have been here since 3:30 a.m. We come here every year in the morning for the Rath Yatra.”

Earlier in the morning, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah performed the ‘Mangala Aarti’ and offered prayers at the temple, while Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel carried out the traditional ‘Pahind Vidhi’, ceremonially sweeping the path before the chariots with a golden broom before the procession began.

Held annually on Ashadhi Bij, the Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is regarded as the second-largest Jagannath Rath Yatra in India after Puri.

The procession follows its traditional route through the city before returning to the temple later in the day, attracting lakhs of devotees from Gujarat and across the country.

This year’s yatra is being conducted under a multi-layered security arrangement involving more than 31,000 police personnel, drones, CCTV surveillance, artificial intelligence-enabled monitoring systems and other advanced security measures.

–IANS

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