Chariot Construction In Final Stage As Odisha Gears Up For Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra From 27 June

Preparations for the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra are in full swing as the festival is set to begin on 27 June, with the 'Bahuda Jatra' (Return Car Festival) scheduled for 5 July, reported Hindustan Times.

Workers are actively constructing the three gigantic chariots for Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Goddess Subhadra at the Puri Jagannath Temple.

"The last phase of work is being done. The decoration of the Ratha is being done. Our hardwork will suceed when Mahaprabhu will be seated in it. We do this work every year; it is a proud moment for us," a worker working on the chariot was quoted as saying by HT.

On Wednesday (18 June), the sacred bathing ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, known as Snana Purnima, took place in Puri.

Devotees ceremonially bathed the three deities with 108 pitchers of sacred water, marking a significant lead-up to the grand Rath Yatra.

To ensure security preparedness, a multi-agency mock drill was conducted on Friday (13 June) at Dharamshala in front of Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri.

During the festival, the three deities - Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra - are drawn by devotees in three massive wooden chariots to Gundicha temple, where they reside for a week and then return to the Jagannath temple.

The Ratha Yatra is a prominent Hindu festival celebrated annually on the second day of the Shukla Paksha in June or July. The three chariots are newly built each year for the festival.