Rath Yatra Chariots Resume Journey After Ritual Delay in Puri
The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings resumed on Friday (July 17, 2026) in Puri, Odisha, as thousands of devotees pulled the chariots towards the Gundicha Temple. The procession, which began a day earlier, faced delays due to extended rituals on Thursday evening, leaving the deities on their chariots overnight.
According to temple officials, none of the three chariots had reached the Gundicha Temple, located about 2.6 km from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple, by Thursday night. The delay was attributed to the 'Pahandi' rituals, during which the idols are ceremonially brought out from the main temple. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) reported that Lord Jagannath's idol was stuck at the main gate for about 40 minutes, delaying the entire schedule.
On Friday morning, amid chants of 'Jay Jagannath', devotees began pulling the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath. The Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, considered the first servitor of the deities, clarified in a video message that such delays have occurred historically. He stated, 'There is nothing wrong in chariot pulling being made on the day after the scheduled Rath Yatra. Many times, the chariots could not reach the destination on schedule, and they were pulled the next day. The chariot pulling was halted on Thursday due to darkness.'
As of Friday evening, Lord Balabhadra's 'Taladhwaja' chariot had covered about 700 metres and stopped at Market Chhak on the Grand Road. Devi Subhadra's 'Darpadalana' chariot halted at Marichikote Chhak after approximately 400 metres, while Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosha' chariot had moved only a few yards from the Lion's Gate of the main temple. Officials indicated that the deities would remain on the chariots for another night, with the entry procession into Gundicha Temple scheduled for Saturday (July 18, 2026).
Estimates of the crowd varied: the SJTA put the number of devotees at 10-12 lakh, while the Chief Minister's Office estimated 8-9 lakh. Despite heavy rain earlier, the weather improved, and devotees were seen dancing and celebrating along the route. Special arrangements were made to drain rainwater from the Grand Road to facilitate the procession.
SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee assured that all rituals were completed on time except for the movement of Lord Jagannath's idol, which caused a ripple effect. Regarding the absence of the traditional 'Tahika' (ornate floral crown) during the 'Pahandi' ritual, Padhee explained that it was removed because it became wet and heavy due to rain. The Rath Yatra, held annually on the second day of the Odia month of 'Ashadha Shukla Tithi', is the only occasion when the sibling deities are taken out from the 'Ratna Sinhasana', the bejewelled throne of the temple.
