Puri: Lakhs of devotees have gathered in the holy city of Puri today to witness the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

The annual festival marks the ceremonial journey of the sibling deities from the Shree Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple aboard their majestic wooden chariots. Devotees from across Odisha, other parts of the country and abroad have assembled along the Grand Road (Bada Danda) to witness the sacred procession.

The ceremonial Pahandi, during which the deities are carried from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to their respective chariots, is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am and conclude by 12.30 pm. This will be followed by Madanmohan Bije, Chitalagi, Besha Sesha and the traditional Chhera Pahanra, during which the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri will ceremonially sweep the chariots with a golden broom.

After the completion of Chhera Pahanra, the rituals of Chara Phita and Ghoda Sarathi Lagi will be performed. The pulling of the three chariots is scheduled to begin at 4 pm.

The Odisha government has made elaborate security, crowd management and civic arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual festival. Police personnel, emergency response teams and volunteers have been deployed across the pilgrim town, while traffic and public safety measures have been strengthened to facilitate the movement of devotees.