Large number of devotees from across Gujarat are expected to take part in the 145th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, which will be held in its entirety from the temple in Jamalpur Darwaza to Saraspur, following a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The procession will take place in Ahmedabad’s old city on July 1.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will perform a Mangala Aarti at the Lord Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur of Ahmedabad around 4 am and the Rath Yatra will begin at 7 am.
According to trustees of Lord Jagannath Temple, preparations for the Yatra are going on in full swing.
At a press conference in Ahmedabad on Monday, Mahendra Jha, one of the trustees of the temple, said, “This year, we are organising the Rath Yatra in its full-fledged form… 18 elephants, 101 trucks with different tableaus depicting India’s culture, 30 Akhada Dal groups and 18 Bhajan Mandalis will be part of the procession. A total of 1,200 persons will pull the chariots.”
Adding that the trust has prepared prasad for at least two lakh devotees, Jha said, “We have also invited 2,000 sadhus and seers from all over India…”
When asked about the Covid protocols for the procession, Jha said, “We request devotees to come wearing masks and follow the Covid protocols.”
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Police announced that it will deploy over 25,000 police personnel, including teams of the Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force, State Reserve Police, ATS, Ahmedabad Crime Branch and other agencies, to monitor the yatra route. Parking arrangement have done kept at APMC Market ground of Jamalpur.