Ahmedabad, June 27: India’s second-largest chariot festival after Puri, the 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath took place on the streets of Ahmedabad on Friday, combining strong traditions with modern security measures.
The Rath Yatra is held every year on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (Ashadhi Bij) and attracts millions of devotees from across Gujarat and beyond.
As per reports, the day started with the sacred Mangla Aarti, a ritual performed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at 4:00 a.m., continuing a personal tradition.
Shortly after, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the ‘Pahind Vidhi,’ a symbolic act of sweeping the road with a golden broom. He then officially started the Yatra by pulling Lord Jagannath’s chariot from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur.
The yatra covers a 16-kilometre route through important areas of the walled city. The holy chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra pass through places like Jamalpur Chakla, Khadia, Kalupur Circle, and Saraspur.
At these spots, locals traditionally offer a big feast to the deities and pilgrims.
The procession will pass through sensitive areas like Prem Darwaja, Shahpur, and Manek Chowk, all under strict surveillance.
This year's Rath Yatra has turned into a big "Lokotsav" (people's festival), with a lively cultural display. It includes 18 decorated elephants, 100 decorated trucks, 30 akhadas showing martial arts, and various bhajan groups, raas-garba troupes, and traditional bands.
The Khalashi community continues the sacred tradition of pulling the chariots, a custom that has been followed for centuries. To handle the large scale of the event, the Ahmedabad Police have set up one of the most thorough security plans in recent years.
Over 23,800 personnel, including SRP battalions, the Rapid Action Force, and Chetak Commandos, have been mobilized. An extra 4,500 police officers are escorting the procession, while 1,000 traffic police are managing the city's traffic.
For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used for crowd control, helping to monitor overcrowding and fire risks in real time.
A network of 227 CCTV cameras, 41 drones, 2,872 body cameras, and 25 watchtowers is keeping a close watch on the route. Barricades have been set up around 484 weak buildings, and public assistance centers are ready to help with crowd management.
In the lead-up to the Yatra, there has been a lot of community involvement. The police held over 450 outreach meetings, including Peace Committees, Mohalla Committees, and Women’s Committees. They also organized events like cricket matches, blood donation camps, and volleyball tournaments, all aimed at promoting harmony and unity among citizens.
