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Annual Jagannath Temple rath yatra at Puri begins
Published on Mon, Jul 16, 2007 at 10:04, Updated on Mon, Jul 16, 2007 at 11:35 in 
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New Delhi: Rath yatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannath, began on Monday at Puri. Celebrated every year for eight days in the temple town of Puri, the rath yatra is one of the grandest festivals in the country.
The presiding deities of the main temple, Sri Mandira, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel are taken out in an elaborate ritual procession to their respective chariots.
The huge, colourfully decorated chariots are drawn by thousands of devotees.
Devotees from all over the country go to Puri with the desire to touch the rope of the chariot. The main chariot is 14 meters high and 10 meters square, with 16 wheels.
A day before rath yatra began, on Sunday, thousands of devotees had their 'darshan' of the deities amidst tight security as the doors of the 12th century shrine were opened for public after a gap of 14 days.
However, The devotees were denied 'darshan' of the deities as Lord Jagannath, elder brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra were in "sick bed".
The local administration expects a gathering of nearly 10 lakh people on Monday, DGP Amarananda Pattnayak was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
The police had deployed as many as 64 platoons of armed forces besides two company of rapid action force (RAF), quick action team, bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs.
"The police have taken special precaution to face any situation including possible violence by the red radicals," the DGP was further quoted as saying, adding that the security personnel were directed to check all the vehicles entering into the holy town.
Close circuit cameras had been fitted at sensitive locations along the grand road spreading nearly three km in front of the temple.
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Jai jagganath swami nayanapathagami bhaba tume
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