Devotees from across the globe gather in Puri to witness Rath Yatra

Puri (Odisha) [India], June 28 (ANI): Today is the second day of the grand Jagannath Rath Yatra. As part of the tradition, the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are being pulled towards the Gundicha Temple, where the deities will rest for nine days before returning to the Jagannath Temple. Devotees from across India and around the world are arriving in Puri to take part in the Yatra and seek blessings.
A devotee from West Africa who came to Puri for the first time said, "This is my very first opportunity to witness the Rath Yatra in Puri. Yesterday, we only got the opportunity to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. But today, hopefully Jagannath will be kind, we will be able to pull his chariot as today is the second day." She added that she was grateful for the opportunity to experience the celebration.
Gaurangi Devika Das, a foreign devotee living in India for the past 20 years, expressed her joy, saying, "Yesterday was the first day of the Rath Yatra festival. Lakhs of people are coming. By the mercy of Lord Jagannath, I got to take his darshan. Today, I hope I will have the grace to pull Jagannath to Gundicha. This is a very special festival because Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to see all his devotees and give his mercy."
Parna, a devotee from Kolkata, shared her experience: "I wanted to participate in the Rath Yatra for a long time and witness Lord Jagannath. I did get to see him yesterday, but today was magical. I worshipped him for a good 10 to 15 minutes without any rush, and that makes me really happy."
Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who participated in the Yatra, said, "I have had the good fortune of witnessing the Rath Yatra of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri. I want to say that may Mahaprabhu Jagannath maintain peace in the world and maintain an atmosphere of peace and happiness in all families."
Swami Shri Sukh Darshan Das from Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal, also joined the celebrations. He said, "We are from Gujarat. Today is a big celebration of the Rath Yatra. God has come to give darshan to everyone. So we also had darshan this morning. Rath Yatra is so important that whichever devotee has darshan of the Lord in this Rath Yatra, the Lord will fulfil all their wishes. This is the best moment of my life. Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the whole universe."
Shri Jagannath Temple Administration Chief Administrator Arabinda K Padhee informed on Friday, "On 28th June, the chariot pulling will begin at 9.30 am. So it is all Mahaprabhu's desire."
The Jagannath Rath Yatra, also called the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is a significant event for Hindus. The Yatra began on June 27 and is scheduled to conclude on July 1, with Lord Jagannath returning to the Jagannath temple. (ANI)