The 149th annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad wrapped up as the chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra returned to the Shree Jagannath Temple in the Jamalpur area. This procession, one of Gujarat’s largest religious events, started early in the day after traditional rituals at the temple and followed its usual route through Ahmedabad before ending back at the temple by evening.
Lakhs of devotees gathered along the route to offer prayers and witness this significant annual yatra, considered the second-largest Jagannath Rath Yatra in India after the Puri festival. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi mentioned that devotees from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and other parts of the country participated in the procession, expressing great enthusiasm and devotion.
The day commenced with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah conducting the Mangala Aarti at the temple, followed by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performing the traditional ‘Pahind Vidhi’ to kick off the procession. Patel oversaw the yatra’s progress in real time through the Chief Minister’s Dashboard, ensuring security and crowd management via live video feeds.
Authorities implemented extensive security measures for the event, deploying over 31,000 police personnel along the 16-km route, supported by Rapid Action Force units and other security agencies. The security arrangements included advanced technologies like artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance, drones, facial recognition systems, high-resolution CCTV cameras, and cyber monitoring to combat misinformation and rumors.
Emergency medical teams and civic agencies were on standby throughout the day, offering medical aid, traffic control, and other essential services to ensure the smooth execution of this centuries-old procession.
