Jagannath rath yatra begins in Puri amidst tight security
4 Jul 2008, 1220 Hrs

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Puri (Orissa), July 4 (ANI): The annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath began here today morning amidst tight security.

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.

For smooth conduct of the festival, both State and district administration have taken all necessary steps.

Over 4,000 police personnel including 29 IPS officers, 23 OPS (DSP), 61 inspectors, three companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and 1,200 home guards have been deployed to avoid any kind of untoward incident.

Various CCTVs have been installed at strategic places to monitor the crowd.

Every year, Puri's Rath yatra is held in June-July and lasts for about ten days.

The ten-day yatra will conclude on July 14. (ANI)