Devotees Gather in Puri as Jagannath Rath Yatra Begins

Amid incessant monsoon showers, chants of "Jai Jagannath" echoed across the Grand Road (Bada Danda) in Puri on Thursday as the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced with deep spiritual fervour, drawing lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad to witness one of humanity's oldest and grandest religious spectacles.

Braving heavy rain, thousands of devotees gathered from the early hours, eagerly awaiting the divine moment when Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra would emerge from the sanctum sanctorum of



the 12th-century Srimandir to bless humanity during their annual sojourn to the Srigundicha Temple, revered as their birthplace.

The centuries-old festival began with a series of sacred rituals inside the temple, meticulously performed in accordance with age-old traditions preserved for generations by the temple servitors. 

The morning commenced with the Dhupa ritual at the Bhoga Mandap, followed by other ceremonial rites associated with preparing the deities for their annual journey outside the temple walls.