Hours before the world-famous chariot festival was set to commence, the newly constructed chariots named 'Nandighosha' of Lord Jagannath, 'Taladhwaja' of Lord Balabhadra, and 'Darpadalan' of Goddess Subhadra arrived at the Singhadwar of Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha—a renowned pilgrimage town.
A procession of daitapatis (servitors) made their way to the chariots at the rathakhala, located on the grand road, where these three colossal chariots were constructed. Following a customary ritual, the chariots were pulled towards the temple.
Pradeep Jena, the Chief Secretary of Odisha, who was present in Puri to oversee the preparations for a smooth Rath Yatra, stated that the power distribution company TPCODL had been instructed to ensure uninterrupted power supply throughout Puri during the festival.
Jena also emphasized that, considering the prevailing weather conditions, water would be sprinkled by the fire service personnel, and oral rehydration solution (ORS) would be provided to the devotees to combat the heat.
To ensure the safety of participants and attendees, a significant number of CCTV cameras, supported by drones, would be deployed to prevent any untoward incidents during the festival. Additionally, face recognition cameras had been installed at railway stations to identify suspicious individuals. A Coast Guard helicopter would conduct patrols along the beach area as well.
