Puri, July 15: A day ahead of the world-famous Rath Yatra, the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri is witnessing a series of important rituals on Wednesday, with the ‘Ubha Yatra’ being observed and the ceremonial ‘Agyanmala Bije’ to the Rath Khala scheduled later in the day.

As the annual ‘Shree Gundicha Yatra’ is set to take place on Thursday, public darshan at the 12th-century shrine has been suspended for the entire day to facilitate ritual observances and final preparations for the grand festival.

According to the temple schedule, the ‘Sakala Dhupa’ ritual will be performed after the completion of ‘Mangala Alati’ and other customary rites. The sacred ‘Agyanmala’ will then be taken to the Rath Khala at around 11:30 a.m. The ‘Puja Panda Samantas*’of the three deities will receive the divine garlands before proceeding to the chariot yard. Following the ritual, the three chariots will be ceremonially pulled and positioned in front of the Singhadwara (Lion's Gate) of the temple, marking the final stage of preparations ahead of the Rath Yatra.

The administration has put in place elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of the festival. Shree Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee has held discussions with various ‘Sevayat Nijogs’ to coordinate the rituals and logistical arrangements.

Padhee also appealed to all servitors and devotees to extend their cooperation for the successful and peaceful conduct of Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra, one of India's largest and most revered religious festivals.