Bahuda Yatra, marking the return journey of the holy trinity—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—to Puri’s Srimandir, begins today under an elaborate security setup. The Bahuda Yatra signifies the conclusion of the annual Rath Yatra festival.
To ensure a smooth and incident-free event, the Odisha Police has deployed over 6,000 personnel along with 800 personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) across the town. Senior officers, including DGP YB Khurania, are stationed in Puri to oversee the security and logistics.
Special traffic regulations are in place to manage the expected large crowds, as weather conditions are currently favorable. Additionally, more than 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the gathering and swiftly detect any suspicious activity.
As per the schedule released by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the ‘pahandi’ ritual—where the deities are ceremoniously brought out of the Gundicha Temple—will begin at 12 noon. Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb will perform the traditional ‘Chhera Pahanra’ (ceremonial sweeping of the chariots) between 2:30 and 3:30 PM. Following this, horses will be fitted to the chariots, and the pulling of the raths will commence at 4 PM.
On the eve of Bahuda Yatra, thousands of devotees gathered at Gundicha Temple to witness the ‘sandhya darshan’ of the deities.
