Puri's Jagannath Rath Yatra 2024 begins today, President Droupadi Murmu to attend two-day event
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2024: The Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath is a one-day event, but due to specific celestial arrangements, it will span two days this year.
The unique two-day Jagannath Rath Yatra 2024 in Odisha's Puri is scheduled to commence on Sunday, July 7. President Droupadi Murmu will join the annual festival, which will attract lakhs of devotees. Typically, the Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath is a one-day event, but due to specific celestial arrangements, it will span two days this year, a rarity last seen in 1971.
The newly elected Odisha government has implemented special arrangements for President Murmu’s visit, given her roots in the Mayurbhanj district, and to ensure the festival proceeds smoothly. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has declared a two-day public holiday on July 7 and 8 for the Rath Yatra.
The chariots are positioned in front of the Lion's Gate of the Jagannath temple, ready to be taken to the Gundicha temple, where they will remain for a week.
Devotees will pull the chariots on Sunday afternoon.
What is special about this year's Rath Yatra?
Departing from customary practice, several rituals involving the three sibling deities—Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra—will be performed on a single day this Sunday.
This year, the Rath Yatra and associated rituals like ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ and ‘Netra Utsav’ will all take place on July 7. Typically, these rituals are conducted before the Rath Yatra. ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ signifies the youthful appearance of the deities, who remain behind closed doors for 15 days during ‘Anasara’ (quarantine) following ‘Snana Purnima’.
According to mythology, the deities fall ill due to excessive bathing on ‘Snana Purnima’ and thus stay indoors. Before ‘Nabajouban Darshan’, priests perform the special ritual ‘Netra Utsav’, where the deities' eyeballs are freshly painted.
The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is believed to be as ancient as the Jagannath Temple in Puri. The festival marks the Holy Trinity's journey to their maternal aunt, Goddess Gundicha Devi's Temple, and concludes with their return after eight days.
In essence, the festival spans from Akshaya Tritiya (in April) and concludes with the Holy Trinity's return to the Shree Mandir premises.
Arrangements by Odisha govt
The state government has made arrangements organised to ensure the annual festival proceeds smoothly and on time. “With the cooperation from all stakeholders, all the rituals are going on smoothly. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all other rituals will also be conducted according to schedule,” Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain was quoted as saying by PTI.
Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Pinak Mishra was quoted by the news agency PTI saying that 180 platoons (one platoon comprises 30 personnel) of security forces from both the state and central governments have been deployed to manage law and order and control the crowd during the festival.
A green corridor is prepared to quickly transport anyone who falls ill from the crowd to the hospital. Artificial Intelligence-based CCTV cameras have been installed at Badadanda, the festival venue, and other key locations in the town, according to ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar.
Special security measures are in place for the President’s visit to the festival. A VIP zone is planned for the Odisha governor, chief minister, Union ministers, and other dignitaries, while a buffer zone is reserved for the President.
A dedicated team led by a senior SP rank officer has been organised to oversee President Murmu’s visit to the pilgrim town. Expecting a crowd of 10 to 15 lakh people, the fire service department has made necessary arrangements.
DG, fire service, Sudhanshu Sarangi, mentioned that 46 modern fire tenders have been stationed throughout the town and along the sea beach for the Rath Yatra. To combat the expected hot and humid weather, water will be sprinkled on the crowd to keep them cool, he said.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)