Puri: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in Odisha's Puri on Thursday to witness the annual Rath Yatra procession, said that "only those who are fortunate" get to have a 'darshan' of Lord Jagannath while he is on the chariot. 

Speaking to IANS, Dharmendra Pradhan said: "We are all fortunate that today we will get to have a 'darshan' of Mahaprabhu Lord Jagannath during the sacred Rath Yatra."

"Shortly, the 'Pahandi' ritual will begin, during which Mahaprabhu, along with his brother Lord Balram and sister Goddess Subhadra, will be ceremonially brought to their chariots. Only those who are truly blessed get the opportunity to witness this, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the darshan of Mahaprabhu," he added.

As scores of devotees gathered to witness the huge procession amid rainfall, the Union Minister said: "This is 'pushpa varsha' (showering of flowers). We are fortunate that Lord Indra is showering petals for the Rath Yatra of the 'Mahaprabhu'."

Meanwhile, Chief Priest of the Jagannath Temple, Jagannath Swain Das Mahapatra, called the sacred 'Shri Gundicha Yatra' (Rath Yatra), as the "most auspicious day in the world".

"On this day, Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to give darshan to devotees irrespective of any religion they belong to. There is no discrimination on the basis of religion or caste," he told IANS.

The priest noted that this is the only time of the year when the devotees can have a darshan of Lord Jagannath while he is riding the chariot.

A devotee, who had come to witness the holy procession in Puri for the first time, said: "The management is really good here; the security measures are also in place."

"Rainy weather is better than the scorching heat...it is a great experience," he added.

Another devotee said that he had been trying to come here for the last two or three years. "This time, Lord Jagannath finally called me. Everything fell into place on its own, and I made it here," he said.

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday extended greetings on the occasion of the annual Rath Yatra, terming the festival as a celebration of "our rich civilisational ethos" and an "emotional moment of union" between devotees and the Lord.

(IANS)