Hundreds of thousands of devotees thronged the holy city of Puri in Odisha on July 16 as the world-famous annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra commenced amid elaborate security arrangements. Celebrations were held with equal fervor across several Indian states. Towering wooden chariots rolled through the city’s historic streets, devotional chants filled the air and people from across India and beyond came together to witness a centuries-old tradition unlike any other. GLIMPSES...
An essential and distinctive ceremony of Jagannath Yatra is Hera Panchami. The festival is observed at the Gundicha temple on the fifth day after the Rath Yatra’s beginning. This ceremony honors the goddess Mahalakshmi. (Photo courtesy: X@sambitswaraj)
Lord Balabhadra took his seat at the sacred Aadap Mandap of Gundicha Temple during the 'Goti Pahandi' tradition - a ritual during the Puri Rath Yatra where deities are moved one at a time. (Photo courtesy: X@sambitswaraj)
The Chaturdhamurti bathing altar, known as the Snana Mandap, is a raised platform in the Jagannath Temple where the four deities are ritually bathed during Snana Yatra. Chaturdhamurti refers to the four divine siblings—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Sudarshan Chakra. (Photo courtesy: X@Naveen_Odisha)
.jpg)
A sand art of Lord Jagannath by Sudarsan Pattnaik featuring hundreds of chariots at Puri Beach, Odisha. (Photo courtesy: X@sudarsansand)
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, performs 'aarti' and prays to Lord Jagannath for "peace, happiness, good health and prosperity for all". (Photo courtesy: X@LtGovDelhi)
