Bhubaneswar: Lakhs of pilgrims have been congregating at the Holy City Puri for the nine-day Rath-Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra beginning Thursday.
All roads are leading to the sea-side town as the stage is set for the annual car festival.
Three majestic chariots – Nandighosa (Lord Jagannath), Taladwaja (Balabhadra) and Darpadalan (Subhadra) – have been kept ready in front of the 12th century Srimandir and will be pulled by lakhs of devotees Thursday.
The annual Rath Yatra, which will commence at the Jagannath temple, will conclude at Shree Gundicha temple. The deities also take a break at their aunt’s place called Mausima Mandir on way to Gundicha temple.
The devotees will pull the chariots on the Grand Road covering nearly 2.5 km distance, said an official of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration.
The deities return to Shree Mandir only after completing the nine-day Yatra on the same chariots called ‘Bahuda Yatra’ (return car festival).
The state administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival. It would be a challenge for the administration to accommodate the tourists in the pilgrim town, which was devastated by cyclone Fani that hit the coastal district May 3.
Inspector General of Police S Priyadarshi said elaborate security arrangements have been made for the festival. Two additional Director General of Police (DGP), five Inspector General of Police (IGP) and scores of officers have been tasked with supervising the arrangements.
Besides, over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed while CCTV cameras have been installed on the Grand Road for the security of devotees, said police.
The Indian Coast Guard will look after air and sea surveillance during the festival.
Earlier, the temple administration launched an interactive website, replete with information on rituals, their significance and programme schedule, ahead of the Rath Yatra. Puri Gajapati (king) Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb launched the portal in the presence of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) officials and servitors. SJTA Chief Administrator PK Mohapatra said the portal can be accessed on: www.shreejagannatha.in