Puri, June 27 -- The nine-day sojourn of the presiding deities of the Shree Jagannath Temple-Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra-began this morning amidst the chanting of "Haribol" and "Jai Jagannath" and the rhythmic clanging of cymbals that echoed through the temple town.
Lakhs of devotees thronged the pilgrim city, converging along the three-kilometre-long 'Bada Danda' (Grand Road), stretching from the Lions Gate of the 12th-century temple to the Gundicha Temple, to witness the world-famous annual Rath Yatra.
The divine siblings, along with Lord Sudarshan, were first offered Gopal Bhog (breakfast) following the completion of daily rituals. Thereafter, they were ceremoniously brought out from the sanctum sanctorum ('Ratna...