The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath was held in Puri on Tuesday without the usual congregation of devotees, a historic departure from the centuries-old tradition. It is considered auspicious to have a glimpse of the deities — Balabhadra, Jagannath and Subhadra — on grand chariots. As per tradition, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati paid obeisance to the deities on the chariots. Every year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik makes it a point of visiting Puri during the Rath Yatra. “I congratulate the Puri district administration, the servitors and the police on the smooth conduct of Rath Yatra,” he said.

Source: The Hindu June 23, 2020 16:30 UTC