Devotees will be able to watch Ahmedabad’s 149th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra live on giant LED screens and through a live telecast for the first time this year.
To ensure that devotees who cannot enter the temple during the early morning Mangla Aarti do not miss the darshan, Ahmedabad Police will install four giant LED screens around the Jagannath Temple. The screens will be set up on the evening of July 15, ahead of the Rath Yatra on July 16.
The entire 16-km Rath Yatra will also be telecast live throughout the day, allowing people across the city to follow the procession from the temple to Saraspur and back. Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said discussions are underway with Doordarshan to broadcast the event live so devotees can watch it from anywhere.
In addition, Ahmedabad Police will provide live updates on their official Instagram page, including the current location of the procession, the route it is following and its return to the Jagannath Temple.
According to DCP Zone-3 Rupal Solanki, LED screens will be installed opposite the temple near the water tank, near the AMC Water Pumping Station, and in the open area near the flyover towards the ST Bus Depot.
To ensure communal harmony, the police have also appointed DCP Himkar Singh of the Economic Offences Wing to review every tableau that will be displayed on the 101 trucks participating in the procession before they join the yatra.
Airport Issues Travel Advisory
As traffic restrictions will be in place across several parts of Ahmedabad during the Rath Yatra, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has advised passengers to leave for the airport well in advance and allow extra travel time to avoid delays.