Annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra commences in Gujarat

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra, embarked on the yatra from the 400-year-old Jagannath temple located in Jamalpur area.

July 4, 2019 11:00 IST

The 142nd rath yatra of Lord Jagannath Thursday commenced in the city amid tight security as lakhs of devotees flocked the 18-km route to catch a glimpse of the deity. Before the procession began, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani performed ‘pahind vidhi’ – a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots using a golden broom. In the early hours, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took part in ‘mangla aarti’ (auspicious ritual to pay obeisance to Lord) of the deities in the temple. The chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra, then embarked on the yatra from the 400-year-old Jagannath temple located in Jamalpur area.

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The annual 142th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra began from Jamalpur Darwaza in Gujarat (Express Photo by Javed Raja)

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The annual 142th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra began from Jamalpur Darwaza in Gujarat (Express Photo by Javed Raja)

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A spectator watches as people carry procession on the annual 142th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Jamalpur Darwaza in Gujarat (Express Photo by Javed Raja)

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The 142nd Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in Odisha with lakhs of devotees flocking the 18 km route to catch a glimpse of the deity. During the yatra, the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings — brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra embark on a journey from the 400-year-old Jagannath temple located in Jamalpur area. What makes this festival unique is that it is the only festival where deities are taken out of temples to travel to devotees. Interestingly, this festival is celebrated by devotees across the globe too with same enthusiasm. Here's a glimpses of people celebrating the Rath Yatra across the globe.