Puri (Orissa): The thousand-year-old annual, weeklong Rath yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri in Orissa is one of the world's largest surviving holy celebrations. More than 10 lakh people from all over the world reached this coastal town to watch the three gorgeous chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balbhadra. Elaborate security arrangements were made in the temple town for the yatra that began on last Wednesday. The coast gurad has also been put on high alert along the Bay of Bengal to face any challenges from the sea route. The Indian Railway has arranged 60 special trains from all over the country to Puri on this occasion. June 24, 2009

      Local shopkeepers here had brisk business. Shop owners and locals anticipated good profits during the annual chariot festival as they expected huge turnover of tourists this year as well. Besides local shopkeepers, hoteliers also fetch some good earnings during the festival. "We do good business during rath yatra (chariot festival). Earlier we used to earn around three thousand but now we earn up to rupees ten thousand," said Manoj Kumar, a local shopkeeper. The chariot festival will begin on Wednesday (June 24. It is marked by an elaborate procession accompanied by great fanfare. Amid tight security, the festival is celebrated by pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath, along with sister Subhadra and brother Balram from the temple, through the city's decorated streets. Hundreds of thousands of people converge here from all over the world to participate in the massive procession. Authorities said that preparations have been in full swing for the festival and arrangements have been made for the benefit of the pilgrims. "Hotel industry plays a major role in this Rath yatra (chariot festival) because they accommodate most of the tourists. This year also we are taking same steps as earlier," said Ashok Meena, Revenue Development Commissioner (RDC). The Yatra is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple. The Jagannath temple, about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for the Hindus in India.

      In Ahmedabad, police said that they were taking all precautions ahead of the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, which commenced on Wednesday. Security forces staged a flag march in the city on Monday. Police have planned foolproof security on the entire 14-kilometer route of the procession and particularly in the sensitive areas of the city. "We are taking the inputs on Gujarat very seriously. We have done detailed investigations regarding those inputs and we are taking all the precautions required," said S S Khandwawala, director general of police. Various CCTVs have been installed at strategic places to monitor the crowd. During the procession, the idols of Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, the deities of the Sri Mandira, are taken out. Thousands of devotees pull the chariots with the idols from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. For seven days, the deities stay at the Gundicha Temple and then return..
-June 29, 2009