The Eastern Voice correspondent

Purio. The historic 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra officially began on July 16, 2026, attracting millions of devotees to Puri, Odisha. The nine-day festival started with the traditional Pahandi ritual, during which Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra were ceremonially brought out from their 12th-century temple. After the customary Chhera Pahanra ritual, in which the Gajapati King sweeps the chariot platforms with a golden broom, devotees began pulling the three newly built wooden chariots along the Grand Road (Bada Danda) towards the Gundicha Temple, marking the beginning of their sacred annual journey.