Puri, June 27: Amid the chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Haribol', thousands of devotees pulled forward giant chariots of Holy Trinity -- Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra - from the Srimandir towards Gundicha temple in Puri on the occasion of Rath Yatra on Friday.

The chariot pulling started around 4 PM after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati visited the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and the Puri's titular king completed the 'Chhera Pahanra' (chariot sweeping) ritual.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the mammoth exercise by pulling the ropes connecting the Nandighosa, chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Thousands of people pulled Taladhwaja, chariot of Lord Balabhadra. It will be followed by the pulling of chariots of Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath—Darpadalan and Nandighosa respectively.

Lord Balabhadra led the chariot procession riding Taladhwaja. It was followed by Devi Subhadra in Darpadalana. Lord Jagannath would go riding Nandighosa at the end.

Earlier in the morning, the ceremonial Pahandi Bije – the ritual procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra – was conducted with traditional fervour. In this sacred procession, the deities were escorted from the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath Temple to their majestic chariots by dedicated priests. Following the Pahandi, the deities were ceremoniously seated on their respective chariots – Nandighosh, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana.

Lakhs of devotees have thronged the pilgrim town of Puri to witness the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings today. Around a million devotees are estimated to have converged on this town for the annual car festival. While most of the devotees were from Odisha and the neighbouring states, many from abroad also joined in what is considered one of the largest religious processions globally.

Several departments of the State government have made elaborate preparations to ensure a smooth and incident-free Rath Yatra. The holy city of Puri has been placed under a five-tiered security blanket for the nine-day-long Rath Yatra festival.

As many as 200 platoons of police force, eight companies of the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, etc., and the commandos of National Security Guard (NSG) have been deployed throughout the sacred coastal town to avoid any untoward incident during the Ratha Yatra.

Similarly, around 10,000 personnel of the Odisha Police, Central Armed Police Force and Home Guard have been deployed in Puri and around the city during the Ratha Yatra this year.

Rath Yatra, celebrated in June-July, marks the journey of Lord Jagannath and his siblings to their aunt’s abode, the Gundicha Temple. The Rath Yatra of Puri remains one of the most vibrant and significant festivals in India, attracting throngs of pilgrims, tourists, and spiritual enthusiasts in a divine confluence of faith, joy and celebrations.

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