Devotees gather for Bahuda Rath Yatra on ninth day of festival in Puri

The Yatra started on June 20 from the Puri Jagannath temple and concluded at Shree Gundicha temple, covering nearly a 3-kilometre distance

The Bahuda Rath Yatra or the 'Return Car Festival' is set to begin on June 28, from Gundicha Temple to Jagannath Temple in Puri, on the ninth day of Jagannath Rath Yatra. Throngs of devotees gathered from all over the country and abroad and danced and celebrated in wait for Lord Jagannath.

The Rath Yatra is carried out at a grand scale every year in Puri. Multi-layer security arrangements had been made for the smooth conduct of the festival this year. A devotee present at the Gundicha Temple for the Yatra in Puri spoke about the arrangements and resources spent on the manufacturing of the three chariots. He said that Lord Jagannath visits the temple once a year and stays there for seven days, after which he returns. He travels by chariot and spends two days on the road, and this is the time during which devotees are eager to seek his blessings. "For the two days of the Lord's travel, at least ₹5 crore are spent on the manufacturing of his Rath. It takes around four to five months to make the chariot and 600 to 700 people are employed in the task. All of the Odisha administrative officials oversee the preparations," said the devotee.

The Yatra is associated with Lord Jagannath at Shri Kshetra Puri Dham in Odisha. At Puri, idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings — elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Devi Subhadra installed on majestic chariots give darshan to the public and visit the Gundicha Temple. The three chariots are pulled by lakhs of devotees from in front of the Singha Dwar of Jagannath Temple towards the Gundicha Temple. According to Puri Shree Mandir Administration about 13 lakh people participate in the chariot festival.

The Yatra started on June 20 from the Puri Jagannath temple and concluded at Shree Gundicha temple, covering nearly a 3-kilometre distance. The deities had a nine-day sojourn at the Gundicha temple. They return to Shree Mandir after completing the Yatra on the same chariots during the 'Bahuda Yatra' on June 28.