Intro: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will offer prayers before Ahmedabad’s historic Jagannath Rath Yatra begins on Thursday morning.
Ahmedabad
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will participate in the traditional Mangala Aarti at the Shri Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur area, ahead of the commencement of the city’s 149th Jagannath Rath Yatra. Officials confirmed the programme, stating that the Union Minister will offer prayers before the annual religious procession begins.
According to the official schedule, Shah will attend the Mangala Aarti at 3:15 a.m. on July 16 at the historic Shri Jagannath Temple. The temple serves as the starting point of the city’s annual Rath Yatra, one of Gujarat’s most significant religious events, which attracts lakhs of devotees from across the state and other parts of the country every year.
The Ahmedabad Jagannath Rath Yatra is held annually on Ashadhi Bij and begins from the nearly 400-year-old Shri Jagannath Temple in the Jamalpur area. During the procession, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are placed on elaborately decorated chariots and taken along the traditional route through different parts of the city before returning to the temple later in the day.
The Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad is regarded as the second-largest Jagannath Rath Yatra in India, after the internationally renowned festival held in Puri, Odisha. Over the decades, the procession has become one of Gujarat’s most prominent religious and cultural events, drawing participation from devotees, saints, community leaders, and public representatives.
Amit Shah has consistently attended the Mangala Aarti before the Rath Yatra in previous years, continuing a long-standing tradition of offering prayers before the ceremonial departure of the chariots. His participation is considered an important part of the festivities, reflecting the significance of the annual event in Gujarat’s cultural and religious landscape.