Cuttack (Odisha) [India], March 28 (ANI): On the occasion of Ram Navami, preparations for the annual Jagannath Ghosha Yatra (Rath Yatra) have commenced in Cuttack on Saturday.

The grand Ratha Yatra dedicated to Lord Jagannath is scheduled to take place on July 16, with traditional rituals and chariot construction already underway.

Speaking to ANI, Chief Administrator of Jagannath Temple, Arabinda Kumar Padhee said, 'The chariot making for the Rath Yatra is a very elaborate process, and it starts with the Sri Panchami, the Basant Panchami, which was solemnised on the 23rd of January this year. The Puja for the chariot logs starts on that day, and today, on the Sri Ram Navami, Chaitra Shukla Navami Tithi, the sawing of the logs or timber starts. And as per the temple traditions, we have been doing it in this particular saw mill in Cuttack Khapuria. So today it was done with all Seva Puja Vidhi in Cuttack.'

'On the pious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, the chariot-making will start. So we pray and wish, and with the blessings of Mahaprabhu, we pray that this year's entire process will be smooth. So every year, as per the Rath code, we require 865 logs or timbers, which are supplied by the state forest department. We also get a few of such timbers of the required species from some willing donors on grown in their private lands. So we are grateful to each one for their contribution,' Padhee added.

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is an annual Hindu festival celebrated in the city of Puri, Odisha, in which the deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are taken from their temple in grand, decorated chariots to the Gundicha Temple, their aunt's house. This spiritual journey, also known as the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is one of the most significant Hindu festivals and commemorates Lord Jagannath's legendary visit to his birthplace.

During the Rath Yatra, a massive crowd of devotees pull the holy chariots of the three deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra, which are taken to the Gundicha Temple, a short distance from the Jagannath Temple.

The three deities spend a week at the Gundicha Temple before returning to Jagannath Temple.

The festival completes its last act with Bahuda Yatra, the 'return journey,' deeply spiritual and a cultural spectacle with people witnessing the return of Lord Jagannath's Nandighosha chariot, Lord Balabhadra's Taladhwaja chariot, and Goddess Subhadra's Darpadalan chariot.

Devotees in large numbers gather in Puri to witness the sacred 'Adhara Panna' ritual. The ritual is considered one of the most significant events in the Rath Yatra celebrations. It involves the offering of a sacred drink made with milk, sugar, and other ingredients to the deities in uniquely designed earthen pots shaped like the Lord's mouth. This offering is made on the chariots and is considered exclusively for the deities. After the ritual, the pots are broken on the chariot itself.

Shri Jagannath Temple is one of the most revered Hindu temples in India, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu. It is a major pilgrimage site for devotees across the country. The temple was built in the 12th century by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva and is a prime example of Kalinga architecture. (ANI)