Puri Jagannath Yatra | Jagannath Rath Yatra Begins In Puri Amid Tight Security, Huge Crowds

Puri has come alive with chants, rituals and the arrival of lakhs of devotees as the city prepares for the Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026, one of the biggest religious gatherings in India. The Odisha government has put in place a massive security plan to ensure the festival passes off peacefully, especially after a deadly crowd crush during last year’s procession claimed three lives. The nine-day festival begins today, with Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra set to leave the 12th-century Jagannath Temple and travel to the Gundicha Temple on three enormous wooden chariots.