Ahmedabad: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani offers prayers at Jagannath Temple on the eve of the annual Rath Yatra festival
Lord Jagannath Temple Rath Yatra procession commenced in Ahmedabad today. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani offered his prayers. Ahead of this, Union Home Minister also visited the temple and performed 'aarti'. Shah is on his 3-day Gujarat visit. He was also seen feeding an elephant in the temple premises.
Shah took to Twitter this morning and shared pictures from the 'Mangla Aarti' he performed this morning. "On the auspicious occasion of Jagannath Rath Yatra, I have been participating in Mangala Aarti at Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad for many years and every time a different energy is received here. I got the privilege of worshiping Mahaprabhu even today. May Mahaprabhu Jagannath always shower his blessings and blessings on everyone.", he tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his greetings to the devotees of Lord Jagannath. "Greetings to everyone on the special occasion of the Rath Yatra. We bow to Lord Jagannath and pray that his blessings bring good health and prosperity in everyone’s lives. Jai Jagannath!", he wrote.
Jagannath Temple is all decked up ahead of Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad. Heavy security has been deployed outside the temple. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Lord Jagannath Temple in the early hours of Monday.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government has made it clear that except for three chariots and two other vehicles, no other vehicle, singing troupes, akhadas, elephants or decorated trucks will be allowed during the procession this time.
To stop people from gathering along the route for a glimpse of the deity, a curfew will be imposed on the entire yatra route from early morning till afternoon, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja told reporters in the state capital Gandhinagar.
Last year, only a symbolic rath yatra was organised in the premises of the Lord Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area here after the Gujarat High Court denied permission for the usual public procession in the wake of the pandemic. Everyone involved in the procession and at the temple will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
