148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath Begins in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, June 26 (PTI): The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, drawing thousands of devotees keen to catch a glimpse of the revered deity.

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra, were ceremoniously pulled out of the Jagannath temple located in the Jamalpur area. This ritual was performed by the Khalasi community, upholding an age-old tradition.

The grand procession set off from the historic 400-year-old temple, with its return anticipated by 8 pm, following a route through the old city that includes some communally sensitive areas.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with his family, participated in the early morning prayers at the Jagannath temple, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted the ‘pahind vidhi’—a traditional symbolic cleaning of the roads using a golden broom.

The procession typically features 18 elephants, 100 trucks, ‘bhajan-mandlis’ (devotional groups), and 30 akhadas (local gymnasiums). Spanning a distance of 16 km throughout the day, several trucks have been artistically decorated as tableaux on various themes.

An anticipated crowd of lakhs of devotees is expected to line both sides of the procession route, eager to pay homage to Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

Police officials have put extensive security measures in place for the event. Approximately 23,800 security personnel have been deployed in anticipation of the event, which is expected to attract between 14-15 lakh people.

For the first time, an Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system is being implemented to avoid stampede-like scenarios. According to government statements, the AI system will alert the police and fire departments should a fire occur along the route and notify the police control room when there are overcrowded areas.

About 4,500 security personnel are set to walk the entire 16-km procession with the devotees, while an additional 1,931 personnel are tasked with managing traffic. Certain roads will remain closed to regular traffic.

Senior police officials are set to monitor the event with the aid of 2,872 body-worn cameras linked to the control room, alongside 41 drones, 96 cameras installed at strategic locations, and 25 watch towers.

In preparation for the 148th Rath Yatra, police facilitated 177 peace committee meetings, 235 mohalla committee meetings, 57 women’s committee meetings, and 21 meetings with various religious leaders, all aimed at boosting communal harmony and peace, according to the government release.

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