Tableau against Iran war, 18 elephants & 100 trucks: Thousands attend 149th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad

Thousands of devotees thronged the 16-km procession route amid unprecedented security cover of more than 30,000 personnel as the 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra rolled out from the 400-year-old temple in Jamalpur on Thursday morning. By the time the procession reached Saraspur, the afternoon sun had become intense, yet the spirit of the devotees remained unwavering. People continued waiting under the scorching heat for hours to catch a glimpse of the chariots carrying deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. Tall Hanuman flags surrounding the chariots added to the grandeur of the procession.

For the volunteers and truck owners, the annual yatra is a deeply personal commitment. Prem Patel, the 27-year-old owner of Chetna Decoration and the Lal Bagh truck, said he has been attending the Rath Yatra since his childhood. “I may skip Diwali festivities, but not the Rath Yatra,” Patel said.

Arrangements were made in Saraspur for a massive mahabhog (community feast) for all the participants. The atmosphere at Saraspur reflected both celebration and careful planning. The narrow roads were divided using rope barricades to manage the crowd. Access beyond the barricades was restricted mainly to volunteers, police personnel, organisers, and families that have traditionally participated in the Rath Yatra for generations.

Outside the restricted area, a festive fair had taken shape with small stalls selling toys, ice creams, and refreshments. Free drinking water was distributed to visitors, while buttermilk remained in high demand as people tried to beat the afternoon heat, which would give way to an overcast sky and then rain as the chariots made their way back to the Jagannath temple.

Paramedics attended to about 41 people and three people had to be moved to hospitals. These included 15 cases of fainting, five of cuts and bruises, four cases each of breathing problems and falling injuries and three traffic accidents.

The procession featured 18 majestic elephants, each decorated with colourful artwork painted across their trunks, ears and bodies. Unlike 2025, when two elephants ran amok during the Rath Yatra injuring two persons including police personnel, no such adverse event was reported this year. As a precaution, the police had equipped the beasts with ‘Gajarakshak’ elephant monitoring system that included GPS tracking, sound monitoring sensors, gyroscope-based movement detection, and live surveillance cameras for real-time monitoring from the Central Control Room.

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Satish Modi, vice-president of an association involved in coordinating the tableaux, said his family has been doing this work for over 100 years. For his family, he said, the Rath Yatra is the biggest festival of the year.

Nikhil Patel, a truck owner, said he grew up watching his father and grandfather prepare for the event every year. He said 101 trucks joined the parade this year. Every single truck was carefully numbered and decorated with beautiful idols and messages. Some had colourful idols of Hindu gods and goddesses like Lord Ganesha, Ambaji Mata, Bahuchar Mata, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Ram. One tableau carried the message: “One message from all four Vedas, the knowledge of the Vedas is for the welfare of humanity.”

Among the many tableaux, one, carrying a message of global peace, particularly drew the attention of visitors. Decorated with colourful balloons, ribbons and bright curtains, the tableau referred to the Iran-United States conflict and displayed posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One volunteer on the truck wore a Modi mask, while Gujarati slogans such as “Bharat Desh Shaanti Chahe Che” and English messages including “No War, Only Peace” highlighted the importance of peace.

Repeated announcements informed visitors about the ongoing mahabhog (community feast) at Saraspur and requested people to follow the instructions of the organisers and police. Rohan Rajesh Patel, who owns the Gujarat and Govardhan tableaux, said he was happy with the smooth management and security.

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More than 30,000 personnel and officers of the local and armed police were deployed during the Rath Yatra, which included the local police, State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and Home Guards. They were complemented with 19 Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) teams, Dog Squads, 15 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) as well as Chetak Commandos.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi participated in the Rath Yatra during its return journey to Jagannath temple in the evening.

CM performs ‘Chhera Pahanra’ at Adalaj Rath Yatra

A spectacular display of spirituality, devotion, and cultural splendour came alive at the annual Rath Yatra at the Jagannath Temple in Adalaj on Thursday as thousands of devotees participated in the temple’s 12th Rath Yatra. At Adalaj, a chariot carrying the three deities was taken out in a grand procession from the Jagannath Temple to the Annapurna Temple on the Adalaj-Koba Road, covering about three kilometres. After a ceremonial midday halt and offering at the Annapurna temple, the chariot returned to the Jagannath temple.

“Arrangements were made to serve prasad to nearly 20,000 devotees at the temple, while around 30,000 people visited the shrine on the occasion,” said Ajay Kumar Das, member-secretary of JCARC in a statement.

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The Jagannath Temple at Adalaj was inaugurated on Rath Yatra Day in 2014, and the annual yatra has been celebrated there since 2015. The Rath Yatra was jointly organised by the Jagannath Cultural Academy and Research Centre (JCARC) and the Orissa Socio-Cultural Association, Ahmedabad (OSCA).

Earlier, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted ‘Chhera Pahanra’ ritual by sweeping the chariot with a golden broom, marking the commencement of the procession.

41st rath yatra in Bhavnagar

The second largest rath yatra in the state takes place in Bhavnagar. During the 41st procession this year, armed forces veterans gave a guard of honor to the chariot. Thousands of devotees participated in the 18-km-long procession in Bhavnagar, where the chariots were equipped with high tech security systems. Cabinet Minister Jitu Vaghani conducted the rituals as a representative of the government.

‘Sanatani bulldozer’ Rajkot

Thousands of devotees braved the heat and then the rain in Rajkot as the 19th Rath Yatra went through the largest city in Saurashtra. The yatra, which began from the Jagannath temple at Kailash dham at Mokaji circle, covered 22 km.  More than 1,800 police personnel and officers led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and four Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) were deployed. This was the second consecutive year that the Rath Yatra was led by a bulldozer, with a banner reading “sanatani bulldozer”. The vehicle was decorated with flowers, two chattris (umbrellas) and saffron flags.

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The rituals were performed by Mandhatasinh Jadeja, head of the royal family of the erstwhile Rajkot princely state. Rajkot MP Parshottam Rupala, MLAs and municipal corporation councillors were in attendance.

(With inputs from Brendan Dabhi, Ahmedabad)

(Yashashwi Singh is an intern at the Ahmedabad office of The Indian Express)