The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in Ahmedabad on Friday, seamlessly blending centuries-old tradition with state-of-the-art security arrangements.
Held annually on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (Ashadhi Bij), the Rath Yatra is India’s second-largest chariot festival after Puri, attracting lakhs of devotees from across Gujarat and beyond.
The day began with the sacred Mangla Aarti, performed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at around 4:00 a.m., continuing his longstanding personal tradition.
Soon after, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the symbolic ‘Pahind Vidhi’—the ceremonial sweeping of the road with a golden broom—before officially flagging off the Yatra by pulling Lord Jagannath’s chariot from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur.
The Yatra follows a 16-kilometre route through key parts of Ahmedabad’s walled city, with the holy chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra passing landmarks such as Jamalpur Chakla, Khadia, Kalupur Circle, and Saraspur, where locals traditionally host a grand feast for the deities and devotees.
The procession will be monitored through heightened surveillance.
This year, the Rath Yatra has evolved into a full-fledged Lokotsav (people’s festival), showcasing Gujarat’s rich cultural heritage. The grand spectacle features 18 decorated elephants, 100 tableau trucks, 30 akhadas performing martial arts, along with bhajan mandalis, raas-garba troupes, and traditional music bands.
The sacred duty of pulling the chariots continues to be led by the Khalashi community, upholding a revered centuries-old tradition.
To ensure safety and smooth conduct, the Ahmedabad Police have implemented one of the most extensive security operations in recent years. More than 23,800 personnel, including State Reserve Police (SRP) battalions, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Chetak Commandos, are deployed. An additional 4,500 police officers are escorting the procession, with 1,000 traffic police managing vehicular movement across the city.
For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used for crowd management, enabling real-time monitoring of overcrowding and fire hazards.
A comprehensive surveillance system has been put in place with 227 CCTV cameras, 41 drones, 2,872 body-worn cameras, and 25 watchtowers keeping constant watch along the route. Precautionary barricading has been erected around 484 structurally weak buildings, and public assistance centers have been activated to support the crowd.
The run-up to the Yatra saw extensive community engagement efforts by the police, who conducted over 450 outreach meetings, including Peace Committees, Mohalla Committees, and Women’s Committees. In addition, interactive events such as cricket matches, blood donation camps, and volleyball tournaments were organised to foster civic unity and communal harmony.
(With inputs from IANS)
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