The annual car festival was observed with great fervour in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Hundreds of devotees participated in the festival organised here by the ISKCON temple, where the idols of lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were pulled in three different chariots to Gundicha temple at Unit-VIII.
Rath Yatra was too observed with great pump and gaiety at Shrivani Kshetra on the KISS campus here. More than 20,000 devotees participated in pulling the three decorated chariots of lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on three colourful wooden chariots, festooned with flowers, appliqué and mural paintings. KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta performed the holy ritual of chera pahanra, the ceremonial sweeping of the chariots.
The Devadalan chariot of Goddess Subhadra was pulled by only females. Ratha Yatra was also celebrated at different places in the capital city, including Rental colony, Patia Gada, Baramunda, Jagamara, Siripur and Brahmeswarpatna. The Commissionerate police had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra in the city. The car festival went off peacefully and without any untoward incidents, police sources said. The Bahuda Yatra, when the deities will return to their abode, will be observed on July 18.