Ahmedabad's 147th Rath Yatra Concludes with Traditional Gaiety
Amit Shah Participates in Mangala Aarti; CM Bhupendra Patel Cleans Chariot with Golden Broom
Ahmedabad : The 147th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad concluded on Sunday with traditional gaiety and religious fervor. The event, held on Ashadh Shukla Paksha Dwitiya, featured Lord Jagannath, sister Subhadra, and elder brother Balram, who gave darshan to devotees from beautifully adorned chariots.
The festivities began with the Mangala Aarti at 4 am, attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his family. Following this, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the ceremonial cleaning of the chariot with a golden broom at 7 am. Thousands of devotees lined the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the deities.
The Lord Jagannath temple in Jamalpur, Ahmedabad, which is approximately 460 years old, has been the starting point for the Rath Yatra for the past 146 years. This year's procession included 18 elephants, 30 Akharas, 101 trucks, and 18 Bhajan Mandalis.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel monitored the live telecast of the Rath Yatra from the CM dashboard in Gandhinagar, accompanied by Chief Secretary Raj Kumar, Director General of Police Vikas Sahay, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Pankaj Joshi, and other senior officials.
In anticipation of the annual Rath Yatra, stringent security measures were implemented. Over 18,000 security personnel, including Inspector General of Police rank officers, were deployed along the 16 km route. This included 4,500 personnel who walked with the procession and 1,931 assigned to manage traffic.
Security was bolstered with 1,733 body-worn cameras, 20 drones, and 96 surveillance cameras installed at 47 key locations along the route. Additionally, about 1,400 CCTV cameras set up by local shopkeepers were utilized for enhanced surveillance.
Emergency preparedness included 16 ambulances stationed at five government hospitals and 17 help desks set up along the route to assist citizens. The comprehensive security and logistical arrangements ensured the successful and safe completion of the 147th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad.
