Dharmendra Pradhan Offers Prayers at Puri Jagannath Temple Before Rath Yatra Festivities

Puri, July 16: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan paid a visit to the revered Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday ahead of the commencement of the annual Rath Yatra, one of the country’s largest and most celebrated religious festivals.

Before offering prayers at the temple, Pradhan visited the Govardhana Peeth, where he met Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and sought his blessings. Speaking after the meeting, the Union minister said it was a privilege to receive the spiritual leader’s blessings before proceeding for the darshan of Lord Jagannath.

Accompanied by Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra and Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Pradhan later headed to the temple to participate in the pre-festival rituals.

Earlier in the day, the Union minister conveyed his greetings to devotees on the occasion of the Rath Yatra, calling it one of the most revered festivals in the Sanatan tradition. He said the annual procession symbolises the divine journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, popularly known as the residence of their maternal aunt.

As part of the final preparations, the three ceremonial chariots—Nandighosha for Lord Jagannath, Taladhwaja for Lord Balabhadra and Darpadalana for Goddess Subhadra—were scheduled to be moved from the Rathakhala to the front of the Jagannath Temple after the traditional Agyan Mala Bije ritual.

Every year, the Jagannath Rath Yatra draws lakhs of devotees from across India and overseas. Authorities have made extensive security, traffic management and public safety arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the grand religious event.