Ahmedabad, June 27: The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath rolled out on the streets of Ahmedabad on Friday, blending deep-rooted tradition with cutting-edge security arrangements.

Held annually on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (Ashadhi Bij), the Rath Yatra is India's second-largest chariot festival after Puri, drawing lakhs of devotees from across Gujarat and beyond.

The day began with the sacred Mangla Aarti, a ritual performed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at around 4.00 a.m., continuing a personal tradition.

Soon after, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the 'Pahind Vidhi', the symbolic sweeping of the road with a golden broom, before ceremonially flagging off the Yatra by pulling Lord Jagannath's chariot from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur.

The yatra follows a 16-kilometre route through key areas of the walled city, with the holy chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra traversing landmarks such as Jamalpur Chakla, Khadia, Kalupur Circle, and Saraspur, where locals traditionally offer a grand feast to the deities and pilgrims.

The procession will pass through sensitive zones such as Prem Darwaja, Shahpur, and Manek Chowk under close surveillance.

This year's Rath Yatra has been elevated into a full-fledged "Lokotsav" (people's festival), featuring a vibrant cultural display: 18 decorated elephants, 100 tableau trucks, 30 akhadas performing martial arts, and a range of bhajan mandalis, raas-garba troupes, and traditional bands.

The sacred task of pulling the chariots continues to be led by the Khalashi community, upholding a centuries-old tradition. To manage the scale of the event, the Ahmedabad Police have implemented one of the most comprehensive security plans in recent years.

Over 23,800 personnel, including SRP battalions, Rapid Action Force, and Chetak Commandos, are on duty. An additional 4,500 police officers are escorting the procession, while 1,000 traffic police manage vehicular movement across the city.

In a first, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been integrated into crowd control, with real-time monitoring for overcrowding and fire hazards.

A network of 227 CCTV cameras, 41 drones, 2,872 body-worn cameras, and 25 watchtowers keeps a watchful eye on the route. Precautionary barricading has been installed around 484 structurally weak buildings, and public assistance centers have been activated for crowd support.

The run-up to the Yatra also has extensive community engagement, with police conducting over 450 outreach meetings, including Peace Committees, Mohalla Committees, and Women’s Committees, along with interactive events like cricket matches, blood donation camps, and volleyball tournaments, reinforcing the message of harmony and civic unity.

--IANS

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