Puri: Despite rain thousands of devotees are pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in pilgrim town Puri here today.

As the chariots were halted midway after sunset yesterday, the pulling of chariots resumed this morning following rituals of deities.

The Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra was pulled first at around 9.30 am followed by his siblings Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.

Undeterred by rainfall in the city, devotees pulled the chariots towards Gundicha temple, where the deities will stay for a week during 9-day Ratha Yatra festival.

Yesterday, the chariots could not be pulled after sunset. While Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra was halted near Balagandi chhak, Darpadalana of Devi Subhadra and Nandighosha of Lord Jagannath were stopped near Patiarani temple and Puri market chhak respectively.