The world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings – elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Devi Subhadra – will begin today in Puri, Odisha.

During the annual Rath Yatra festival, Lord Jagannath and his two siblings give darshan to devotees from their chariots and travel to the Gundicha Temple, revered as the maternal aunt’s abode of Lord Jagannath.

The Yatra begins from the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and concludes at the Shree Gundicha Temple, covering a distance of nearly three kilometres.

The deities will stay at the Gundicha Temple for nine days before returning to the Shree Jagannath Temple on the same chariots during the Bahuda Yatra, also known as the return car festival.

The Puri Shree Jagannath Temple Administration is expecting a large number of devotees to participate in the festival. Multi-layered security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra.