Rath Yatra: Chariots roll on in Ahmedabad amid grand procession, tight security

Ahmedabad: The 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is being held on Tuesday in Ahmedabad amid a vigil by nearly 26,000 security personnel as lakhs of devotees flocked along the 18-km route of a grand procession to catch a glimpse of the deity.

The Gujarat police have for the first time in the Rath Yatra used 3D mapping technology to monitor the entire route and also deployed anti-drone technology to ensure no unauthorised drones are used during the event, as per a senior police official.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed ‘Pahind Vidhi’, a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots using a golden broom, in the morning. Thereafter, Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra embarked on the yatra on their chariots from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also participated in the “mangala aarti” (auspicious ritual to pay obeisance to the deity) at the temple in the wee hours. In a tweet, he called the Yatra a “confluence of faith and devotion” and described the experience of the Lord’s “darshan” as “divine and unforgettable”.

The procession, taken out amid tight security, consisted of dozens of elephants, as well as carts pulled by camels and trucks with tableaux on devotional themes. The procession was greeted enthusiastically as it passed through roads densely packed by people on both sides.

Acrobats representing various “akharas” stole the show, with children and adults loudly cheering the young performers who were part of the procession. People on trucks threw toffees prompting those gathered scrambling to collect them.

People in various pol areas of the walled city of Ahmedabad sprinkled water and showered flower petals on the procession from their balconies and rooftops to help the devotees beat the sweltering heat.

Devotees singing bhajans walked ahead of the chariots. The entire atmosphere reverberated with the chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’. The procession moved slowly but people waited patiently for hours for the arrival of the chariots without letting their excitement wane.

Police took special precautions in the communally sensitive areas and personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) lined the route.

It was for the first time in many decades that Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra rode on new chariots. Also marking the first was the hi-tech 3D mapping technology used for the supervision and security of the Rath Yatra.

Apart from dozens of CCTV cameras, drones were used for surveillance as the procession passed peacefully through some of the communally sensitive parts of the walled city of Ahmedabad.

Police also deployed an anti-drone system to rule out the use of unauthorised drones. Using special guns, such drones seen in the area will be shot down, rendering them ineffective, officials said.

CM Patel monitored the procession from a dashboard at his residence in Gandhinagar. The entire Rath Yatra route was monitored in real-time by the chief minister in the presence of senior officers. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi monitored the Yatra from a police control room in Ahmedabad.

Security personnel collectively wearing 2,322 body cameras, and 25 vehicles with CCTVs and a GPS system were used to keep a close watch on the entire procession along the 18-km-long route, officials said.

A total of 26,091 security personnel, including officers and policemen, as well as paramilitary forces, were deployed for the Rath Yatra of Ahmedabad, they said. As many as 94 CCTV cameras set up across 45 sensitive locations provided live feed, they added.