Ludhiana: City residents braved a hot and sultry day to participate in the Jagannath Rath Yatra. This time, two processions were organised by different religious bodies.Both processions drew large crowds of devotees, who lined the streets to seek blessings of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. The twin processions passed through different parts of the city amid tight security and elaborate civic arrangements.The first Rath Yatra, organised by members of the city’s Odiya community, started from Jagannath Puram in Chander Nagar. The second was organised by the Iskcon management from Durga Mata Mandir.Members of the Odiya community organise the Rath Yatra from Jagannath temple every year. This time, the yatra commenced in the afternoon after rituals were performed at the Jagannath temple. The deities were placed on a decorated chariot, which was pulled by devotees amid chants of “Jai Jagannath”.The procession moved through its designated route, creating a festive atmosphere. Residents gathered along to offer prayers, shower flower petals on the chariot and receive prasad.The second rath yatra started from Durga Mata Mandir and also witnessed overwhelming response. Men, women and children participated in large numbers, with several devotees walking alongside the chariot.Rajinder Verma, a shopkeeper and resident of Civil Lines, described the Rath Yatra as a glimpse of the one organised in Puri Dham.Another devotee, Renu Sharma said, “It is a blessing for devotees to witness Rath Yatra, in which Lord Jagannath comes out of His temple and showers blessings on devotees. It is not possible for everybody to attend Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha so we attended it here in the city.”Volunteers of various social and religious organisations set up stalls to distribute drinking water, fruits and prasad to devotees. Police personnel were deployed at key intersections and along the procession routes to regulate traffic and maintain law and order.Traffic diversions were enforced on stretches through which the yatras passed, and officials monitored the movement of the processions to ensure minimal inconvenience to commuters.However, traffic snarls could not be prevented as roads through which the processions passed were blocked for some time.
