Hyderabad: The city resonated with the chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ and ‘Haribol’, as devotees pulled the beautifully decked-up chariots carrying the idols of Sri Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra on the occasion of annual Jagannath Rath Yatra on Thursday.
The Ratha Yatra organised by ISKCON Abids commenced from NTR Stadium, drawing a large number of devotees, and culminating at the exhibition grounds.
Simultaneously, the 130-year-old traditional Rath Yatra procession hosted by the Jagannath Swamy Ramgopal Trust in Secunderabad’s General Bazaar was held from MG Road and Ranigunj.
Rath Yatra was also celebrated grandly at the Jagannath Dwara Math, Begum Bazaar, which also featured a special ‘Chhappan Bhog’ offering.
A large number of devotees made a beeline to Jagannath temple in Banjara Hills for darshan, before the commencement of Ratha Yatra in the afternoon.
To manage the processions across the city and the influx of devotees, the Hyderabad Traffic Police implemented route diversions and issued traffic advisories for commuters to plan journeys in advance.