The Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, began with immense pomp, devotion, and enthusiasm on Tuesday in India.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the country have flocked to Odisha's coastal city of Puri where the famous 12th-century Shri Jagannath Puri Temple is situated.
The yatra is also being taken out with great fervor in the western state of Gujarat, where a sea of devotees participate with a deep sense of piety.
In Gujarat, the 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in the morning from Ahmedabad city amid tight security. The yatra is taken out from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area.
Devotees participate in the annual chariot festival of Hindu god Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad, India, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
© AP Photo / Ajit Solanki
Ahead of the start of the event, federal Home Minister Amit Shah paid his respects to the deity in the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to his countrymen and prayed to Lord Jagannath to fill everyone's life with health, happiness, and spiritual enrichment.
He tweeted a video clip showing him participating in a Rath Yatra procession.
"Rath Yatra has become an identity of India throughout the world. It is celebrated in many states of the country. However, the Rath Yatra in Puri has an aura of its own," PM Modi is heard saying in the video.
The Indian Prime Minister spoke of his own experiences, when he used to participate in the Rath Yatra when he was in his home state Gujarat.
"In these Rath Yatras, it is amazing how people from every community come together for the festivities. This also strengthens the unity of the country," he said.
Netizens have flooded social media with videos and photos of devotees celebrating the annual festival in a grand way.
Scores of people gathered for the commencement of the grand festival and to pull the ropes of the newly built decked-up chariots of the three Lords.
Dancers can be seen all dressed up to perform traditional dance forms amid the hymns and chants.