Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: Indian Railways Starts 208 Special Trains For Pilgrims- Check Full List

Indian Railways is the most reliable country's transporter, and with the beginning of the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra today, the organisation has taken charge of announcing special trains. The East Coast Railway arm of the Indian Railways has announced 208 special trains to connect Puri with different states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chattisgarh. The special trains are anticipated to handle the influx of passengers coming to the city during the Rath Yatra period.

During the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, lakhs of devotees come to the city to participate in the festivities. During this time, Lord Jagannath, accompanied by Lord Balaram and Devi Subhadra, visit the Gundicha temple and stay there for the following 8 days. After this, the gods return to their abode on the ninth day, which is celebrated as Bahuda Rath Yatra. The Bahuda (return of gods) will be on June 28 this year.

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The government has made multiple preparations to handle the crowd during the festival, including tight security as the devotees come to witness the Rath Yatra in Puri. It is to be noted that the rituals are being performed.

Special Trains to and from Puri during Car Festival (Rath Yatra) period.

208 special Trains from different parts of Odisha including from Maharashtra, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

.@RailMinIndia #ECoRupdate pic.twitter.com/MlIGShAebv — East Coast Railway (@EastCoastRail) June 19, 2023

Furthermore, the government has issued a traffic advisory to regulate the traffic which will be disrupted during the festivities. As part of the traffic preparations, the police advised people to use public transport for smooth travel. Adding to it, the government has also made preparations keeping in mind the heatwave conditions in the street.

At six in the morning, the 'Mangala Arati' ritual was performed, which was followed by the 'Mailam' and 'Vesha,' 'Rosha Homa,' and 'Surya Puja' ceremonies. Following that, "Gopal Bhog" and "Khichidi Bhog" were offered to the gods.

Prior to the start of the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra's idols have been mounted on the chariot. Today's Yatra began at 1:30.