Billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani Group on Friday started 'Prasad Seva' for the Lord Jagannath devotees in Puri, as they congregate in the holy town in large numbers for the nine-day chariot festival.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the first Rath Yatra from the newly constructed Jagannath temple in the coastal town of Digha.

Amid the chants of 'Joy Jagannath' by thousands of pilgrims, including foreigners, the CM, along with her cabinet colleagues, pulled the ropes of the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra this afternoon.

She appealed through a public address system that the devotees could touch the ropes of all three chariots from inside the barricades along the 750-metre procession from the main temple to the sibling deities' aunt's place.

The three chariots are now ready to roll down the Grand Road in Puri as Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath have ascended their respective chariots after over two-hour long ceremonial 'Pahandi' ritual.

The word 'Pahandi' comes from the Sanskrit word 'Padamundanam' which means taking slow steps movement by spreading feet. As per tradition, the 'Pahandi' was carried in 'Dhadi' (line) where the three wooden idols were carried to the chariots from the 12th century temple. The pahandi of the trinity began with Chakraraj Sudarshan, followed by Lord Balabhdra, Devi Subhadra and finally Lord Jagannath.

The trinity was now seated on their respective chariots parked in front of the Lion's Gate of the temple for journey to Shree Gundicha Temple, about 2.6 kilometre from the 12th-century shrine.

The Rath Yatra in Puri has begun with the three sibling deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbhadra and Goddess Subhadra- being brought to their chariots.

On Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, Sanjay Kumar, the Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Odisha, said they estimate that 10 to 12 lakh people will gather in Puri today. 

"For their security, crowd management arrangements have been made for both the attendees and our VIPs arriving here. The entire city has been converted into a security cover zone. Following 'Operation Sindoor,' we received intelligence that some anti-social and anti-national elements might attempt to cause disturbances. To prevent this, we have thoroughly planned over several days and are keeping control of the situation," he told the news agency ANI.

Idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings have been placed inside their chariots in front of the new temple in West Bengal's Digha town, where its first Rath Yatra will begin shortly.

As part of the festival, the three chariots will be taken out from the temple around 2:30 pm, and the entire journey will be over by 4 pm.

Accompanied by monks of the temple and others, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will perform the ritual.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered greetings to the people on the occasion of Rath Yatra.

“On the sacred occasion of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, my heartfelt best wishes to all fellow countrymen. May this holy festival of faith and devotion bring happiness, prosperity, good fortune, and excellent health to everyone's life. Jai Jagannath!” he said in a post on X in Hindi.

President Droupadi Murmu greeted the people of the country on the occasion of Rath Yatra and prayed for happiness, peace and prosperity in everyone's life.

"On the occasion of the sacred Rath Yatra, I extend my heartfelt greetings to the devotees of Lord Jagannath residing in India and abroad. By witnessing Lord Balabhadra, Lord Shri Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra, and Chakraraj Sudarshan on the chariot, millions of devotees experience divine bliss," the President said on X.

She also said the "human-like divine play of the deities is the speciality of the Rath Yatra".

"On this auspicious occasion, my prayer to the Lord is that peace, friendship, and harmony prevail throughout the world," President Murmu said.

The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath also began in Ahmedabad with thousands of devotees joining in for a glimpse of the deity.

The raths or chariots of Lord Jagganath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra were pulled out of the Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area of the city by the Khalasi community as per the age-old tradition.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his family members participated in the morning prayers at the Jagannath temple, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed 'pahind vidhi', a traditional ceremony of symbolic cleaning of roads by a golden broom.

The procession, usually comprising 18 elephants, 100 trucks, 'bhahan-mandlis' (devotional groups) and 30 akhadas (local gymnasiums), will cover a distance of 16 km during the day.

The seaside pilgrim town of Puri in Odisha has turned into a fortress with around 10,000 security personnel deployed for the annual Rath Yatra celebrations of Lord Jagannath.

During the festival in Puri, devotees draw the grand chariots of the three deities -- Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra, and sister goddess Subhadra -- to the Gundicha Temple, where the deities reside for a week and then return to the Jagannath Temple.

Lakhs of devotees have gathered at Odisha's Puri for the annual Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra. 

Jagannath Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is a major Hindu festival celebrated annually in the coastal town.