Puri/Bhubaneswar, Jul 3: The much awaited Rath Yatra in Puri have started with its initial rituals on Sunday, Jul 3. More than 10 lakh devotees are expected to watch the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath.

The march will start at the evening when Lord Jagannath with elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra set off for their aunty's place in three different huge wooden chariots.

Rath Yatra's final ritual - the pulling of the chariots will begin when the king of Puri sweeps the road for the auspicious occasion. Lord Jagannath with Balabhadra and Subhadra will return to their place exactly after seven days. Puri will celebrate these seven days as people will attend the special fair at the coastal city.

State police have arranged heavy tight security to avert any kind of mishap as generally people face several accidents during the Rath Yatra.

"There is general threat perception that we have got from our headquarters and intelligence department. So we have prepared ourselves accordingly and in case of any major mishap there are special teams in place to handle them," said SP Puri Amitendra Nath Sinha. However, media reports already have claimed two casualties so far.

OneIndia News