It will conclude next week on July 9. Tight security has been put in place for the event.Also Read - Devotees In US Celebrated Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra Festival On Florida Beach | WATCH
The excitement of devotees is uncontained as they can now visit the shrine and participate in the Ratha yatra after a gap of two years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees were denied entry into the holy town during the festival in 2020 and 2021. Also Read - 10 Things That Make Puri's Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra Different This Year
“We expect a large gathering of about 10 lakhs on Ratha Yatra as the people are allowed to participate in the festival after a gap of two years,” P.K. Jena, Development Commissioner told PTI. Also Read - Gujarat Man Takes Out Robotic Rath Yatra Procession, Calls It 'Amalgamation of Science & Tradition' | Watch
The three grand chariots dedicated to Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath are decorated and parked in front of the Singha Dwar facing East towards Gundicha temple. They will be pulled by lakhs of devotees on Friday afternoon. Chariots were parked by following a specific ritual known as ‘Agnya Mala Bije,’ which means with the permission of the Lords.
While dummy chariots were being pulled to keep them at the right spot near the temple on Thursday, there was a great deal of religious fervour among the devotees. A chant of ‘Jai Jagannath’ (Hail Jagannath) filled the air, along with the beating of cymbals and the blowing of conch shells.
As per the schedule set by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the deities will be brought to chariots in a ceremonial procession at 9:30 am on July 1. After the procession activities are completed by 12:30 pm, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb will perform the traditional ‘Chhera Pahnra’ (sweeping of three chariots), between 2.30 pm and 3:30 pm. The chariot pulling will begin at 4 pm.
Around 180 platoons of armed police personnel, including 1,000 officers of various ranks, have been deployed in and around the city, while 50 CCTV cameras have been installed on Grand Road and other parts of Puri to ensure the safety of the festival. Equipment of the Odisha Fire Service is also ready to be deployed.
“Our trained personnel will be ready both on the Grand Road and also on the sea beach to intervene in any possible untoward incident,” DGP, Fire Service, Santosh Kumar Upadhyay told PTI. For the Ratha Yatra, Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited has taken a number of steps to ensure a reliable power supply.