"rath-yatra"

Senior police officials will keep a close watch on the procession using 1,733 body-worn cameras linked to a control room

Dibyasingha Deba, the titular Gajapati Maharaja who heads the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), told PTI that he met a delegation of BJP leaders led by its former president Samir Mohanty, who filed a PIL over the matter in the Orissa High Court, and discussed the matter.

Thousands of people were pulling the chariot, made of iron and heavily decorated, when it came in contact with a 133 kv overhead cable

'Bahuda Yatra' or return car festival began in the pilgrim town of Puri amid the chants of 'Jai Jagannath' on Wednesday.

“I never imagined that I could make darshan, thanks to Puri Police for making it possible,” said 80-year-old Sarangadhar Sarangi.

According to the Administrator of Puri Jagannath Temple, Ajaya Jena, the servitors testing negative for Covid-19 would be allowed to participate in the pulling of the chariots.

The nine-day long car festival will commence as per schedule, and "just about 500 servitors will be allowed to pull the chariots during the period."