Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday, 16 July 2026, monitored the 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad in real time from the CM Dashboard video wall at his official residence, tracking the procession's movement across the city. The Chief Minister also received a detailed briefing on the security arrangements deployed by Gujarat Police, which included artificial intelligence and drone technology.

Context

Patel posted on X after the departure of the chariot procession, writing in Gujarati that he monitored the Rath Yatra's movement in real time through the video wall of the 'CM Dashboard' at the Chief Minister's residence — ('રથયાત્રાના ભ્રમણનું રિયલ ટાઈમ મોનિટરીંગ કર્યું') — and obtained detailed information on the security arrangements made by the police department using AI and drone technology. The Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad is one of the largest religious processions in western India, drawing lakhs of devotees each year to the streets of the city.

Policy Backdrop

Gujarat has held the annual Ahmedabad Jagannath Rath Yatra for well over a century, with successive state administrations responsible for its security and management. Under BJP leadership, the state has progressively integrated digital dashboards and surveillance technology into its e-governance and smart-city frameworks since the mid-2010s. The CM Dashboard at the Chief Minister's residence functions as a centralised command interface that enables real-time oversight of state events, infrastructure, and security operations.

The deployment of AI and drones for crowd and security management at large religious gatherings reflects a broader national trend. Indian states have adopted integrated command-and-control systems for events such as the Kumbh Mela, and Gujarat Police has built on these practices to manage the unique challenges posed by the Rath Yatra's dense urban procession route through Ahmedabad.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the enhanced monitoring framework are the lakhs of devotees and Ahmedabad residents who line the procession route. Real-time aerial surveillance through drones allows police to identify crowd surges, potential security threats, and medical emergencies far faster than ground-level policing alone. The AI layer can process feeds from multiple cameras simultaneously, enabling quicker deployment of personnel to sensitive points along the route.

For Gujarat Police, the exercise also serves as a live operational test of its technology stack ahead of other large state festivals. The Chief Minister's direct oversight from the CM Dashboard signals institutional accountability at the highest level of the state government.

What's Next

The government is expected to assess the performance of the AI and drone security framework deployed during the 149th Rath Yatra and consider rolling out similar real-time monitoring for other major Gujarat festivals. A formal state-level policy on the use of AI in policing and public-event management could follow as the technology matures and is tested across more events. The CM Dashboard itself may see expanded integration with additional data feeds as Gujarat deepens its e-governance infrastructure.