Puri, June 15: Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming Jagannath Rath Yatra, set to begin on June 27, with the Return Car Festival or Bahuda Jatra scheduled for July 5.
Construction of the three grand wooden chariots for the Holy Trinity—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra—is progressing steadily at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. These towering chariots play a central role in the annual festival, one of the most significant religious events in Odisha.
During the Rath Yatra, the three deities are ceremoniously placed on their respective chariots and pulled by thousands of devotees to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for a week. They then make their return journey to the Jagannath Temple during the Bahuda Jatra.
“We’re in the final phase of the work now, decorating the chariots. Our efforts are fulfilled when Mahaprabhu (Lord Jagannath) is seated on them,” said one of the craftsmen involved in the construction.
“We do this every year—it is a matter of great pride for us,” he said.
As part of safety preparations, a multi-agency mock drill was conducted on Friday near the Shri Jagannath Temple, specifically at Dharamshala, to assess emergency response readiness.
Puri Superintendent of Police Vineet Agarwal confirmed that the exercise was aimed at testing the coordination among various security forces.
“A total of 11 agencies took part in the anti-terror intervention drill,” he said.
