Pure Rath Yatra Puri 2024: President Murmu Witnesses Rituals Amid Tight Security
Highlights:
• The annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha began on July 7, 2024, with President Dropped Murmur witnessing the rituals.
• This year, the festival is being celebrated over two days due to specific celestial arrangements, instead of the usual one day.
• Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the event, including the use of AI-based CCTV cameras for effective crowd and traffic management.
• The three deities – Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Sahara – were pulled in their massive wooden chariots along the ‘ Bad Dana’ (Grand Avenue) to the Munich Temple, where they will reside for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.
• The festival is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival, with descriptions found in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Brahma Purana, Padua Purana, and Skanda Purana.
• Rath Yatra has become a global phenomenon, with the festival now celebrated annually in over 108 cities worldwide through the ISKCON Hare Krishna movement.
Rath Yatra 2024: Rituals and Celebrations
The Yath Yatra festival in Pure is a highly auspicious event for Hindus, marking the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Sahara from the Jagannath Temple to the Munich Temple. This year, the festival began on July 7, 2024, with President Dropped Murmur witnessing the key rituals.
The festivities started with the ‘Snana Purnima’ ritual on June 22, where the deities were bathed with water from the Suna Kua well, dressed in traditional attire, and offered various offerings. After this, the deities were believed to have fallen ill and were taken to the ‘Anasara Ghara’ (sick room) for 15 days of quarantine.
On the day of Yath Yatra , the deities underwent the ‘Naba Jaubana Darshan’ and ‘ Netra Utsav rituals, where their youthful appearance was revealed, and their eyes were freshly painted. This was followed by the grand procession, where the three massive wooden chariots were pulled by thousands of devotees along the Bada Danda to the Gundicha Temple, a distance of about 3 kilometers.
During the journey, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, known as ‘Nandighosa’, stopped near the crematorium of Bhakta Salabega, a Muslim devotee, to pay him tribute. On their return journey, the deities also made a stop at the Mausi Maa Temple, where they were offered a special type of pancake called Poda Pitha believed to be their favorite.
Security and Technology Measures
The Odisha Police have deployed extensive security measures for the Yath Yatra festival, including the use of AI-based CCTV cameras for effective crowd and traffic management. This is the first time the technology is being used on a pilot basis for the event.
In addition, the police have deployed 70 platoon forces and numerous officers to manage the expected influx of devotees. The Tripura government has also rolled out a standard operating procedure (SOP) for organizing the Yath Yatra in the state, focusing on the use of insulation materials for the chariot construction and restricting the height to 5 meters to avoid any untoward incidents.
Global Reach of Yath Yatra
The Yath Yatra festival has become a global phenomenon, with the ISKCON Hare Krishna movement popularizing the event in over 108 cities worldwide since 1968. The festival is now celebrated annually in major cities across the world, including Moscow, New York, London, Rome, Kolkata, Mumbai, and many others.
The Yath Yatra in Dharma, Bangladesh, is also considered one of the most important celebrations outside of Pure. The global reach of this ancient Hindu festival showcases its enduring cultural significance and the devotion of Jagannath devotees worldwide
