The world-renowned Puri Rath Yatra got underway in the sacred coastal city of Puri, Odisha, on Thursday, 16 July, with the Pahandi Bije ceremonial procession commencing ahead of its scheduled time. Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra, and sister Devi Subhadra were escorted from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to their elaborately decorated chariots amid resounding traditional music and sacred Vedic chanting.

The Pahandi Bije Procession

The Pahandi Bije ritual follows a precise ceremonial order rooted in centuries of tradition. Chakraraj Sudarshan — the celestial weapon of Lord Krishna — is first placed on the chariot of Goddess Subhadra, after which Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and finally Lord Jagannath are brought out in the Dhadi Pahandi formation, where the deities move simultaneously in close succession, one behind the other.

The air in Puri reverberated with the sounds of ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet), and telingi baja, as priests chanted Vedic hymns and traditional Odissi dancers performed to welcome the deities at the start of their nine-day sojourn to the Gundicha Temple, revered as the birthplace of Lord Jagannath.

Key Rituals and Royal Participation

Following the Pahandi ritual, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and his disciples offered puja to the holy siblings on their chariots. Subsequently, Puri King Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb, traditionally regarded as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, offered prayers and performed the ceremonial sweeping of the chariots using a golden broom — a ritual known as Chhera Panhara.

After the royal service, lakhs of devotees began pulling the three chariots — Nandighosha (Lord Jagannath's), Taladhwaja (Lord Balabhadra's), and Darpadalana (Devi Subhadra's) — toward the Gundicha Temple, approximately 3 km from the main shrine, with chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Hari Bol' filling the streets.

Significance of the Festival

The Rath Yatra is observed on Dwitiya Tithi — the second day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Ashadha month in the Hindu calendar — a period considered spiritually auspicious due to the waxing moon. The festival draws millions of pilgrims annually, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. This is among the oldest continuously observed chariot festivals on the subcontinent, with records of its celebration dating back over a millennium.

Security and Administrative Arrangements

The district administration deployed more than 13,000 police personnel, supplemented by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), to ensure orderly conduct of the festival. 19 senior IPS officers have been assigned supervisory roles across the security grid. The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy are on alert to monitor the coastal route for any unlawful activity. Authorities described the arrangements as among the most extensive in recent years, reflecting the scale of the gathering and the logistical demands of managing lakhs of pilgrims in a compact coastal town.