Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday participated in the 145th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in the old city Ahmedabad. His participation was in question as he tested positive for covid a few days ago but after receiving a negative covid report and go-ahead from doctors he performed Pahind Vidhi of Lord Jagannath.
On Friday, the yatra was flagged off after the Mangala aarti performed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the temple premises.
Following the recent terror killing in Udaipur, the Gujarat Police have been on high alert to prevent any untoward incidents during the Yatra.
Several lakhs of devotees are attending the 145th Rath Yatra procession, which is being taken out in full force from Lord Jagannath Temple at Jamalpur Darwaja to Saraspur and then back to the temple after two years of restricted procession due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Other Gujarat cities, including Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Sabarkantha, and Gandhinagar, are also seeing rath yatra processions marking the Hindu calendar’s “Ashadhi Beej” diwas, which also marks the Kutchhi new year.
