PM Narendra Modi greets people on occasion of 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath

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The 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced on Tuesday morning in Ahmedabad amid tight security. Rath Yatra is a festival associated with Lord Jagannath. The chariot festival is celebrated annually.

Lakhs of devotees flocked the 18-km route of the procession to catch a glimpse of the deity.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Rath Yatra, saying may the divine journey of Lord Jagannath fill everyone's lives with health, happiness and spiritual enrichment.

"Rath Yatra greetings to everyone. As we celebrate this sacred occasion, may the divine journey of Lord Jagannath fill our lives with health, happiness and spiritual enrichment," PM Modi said in a tweet.

The Gujarat Police have for the first time in the Rath Yatra used 3D mapping technology to monitor the entire route.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel in the morning performed 'Pahind Vidhi', a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots using a golden broom, following which the chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra embarked on the yatra from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah performed 'mangla aarti' (auspicious ritual to pay obeisance to the deity) in the temple early Tuesday morning.

More than 26,000 personnel drawn from the city police, Home Guards, State Reserve Police and para-military forces were deployed at strategic locations along the 18-km-long yatra route to prevent any untoward incident, as per officials.

On Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu too greeted people on the occasion of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra.

"On the occasion of the commencement of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the countrymen, especially the devotees of Lord Jagannath. I pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath that this festival of devotion and dedication brings happiness, peace and prosperity in everyone's life. Jai Jagannath," Murmu tweeted in Hindi and Odia.

(with inputs from agencies)