Puri: All the rituals of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are underway in the pilgrim town Puri on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra amidst sea of devotees despite a hot and humid condition in the town.
Devotees in thousands from across the country dare the inclement weather condition to participate in the mega religious event.
The Meteorological department informed that Puri witnessed severe humid condition due to cloudless sky and high humidity level in the morning today.
The wind speed is 7 to 10 km per hour from the south-southwest direction, and the temperature is 33.4 degrees and the humidity is 76% by 8:30 am in Puri, Meteorological centre Bhubaneswar tweeted.
As the sky is almost cloudless which leads to high humidity. Devotees have been advised to drink plenty of water to keep them hydrated, the weather agency stated.
As per the latest reports, the Pahandi Bije, one of the foremost rituals of the chariot festival, are in progress. Lord Sudarsan, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra are being escorted to their respective chariots. The Pahandi of Lord Jagannath will be performed last.
Pulling of chariots has been scheduled at 4 pm.
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up to ensure smooth functioning of the grand event.
