Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra ends peacefully

Ahmedabad, July 16 (UNI) The 130th annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath passed off peacefully after three main chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balrama and sister Subhadra, returned this evening to the point, from where they started in the morning at the 150-year-old Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area of the city.

The three chariots traversed the 25 km long journey covering main thoroughfares of the old walled city of Ahmedabad, amidst a thick security blanket.

Earlier in the wee hours of the day, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the yatra amid joyous slogans like 'Jai Ranchhod Maakhan Chor', 'Mandir Maa Kaun Chhe, Raja Ranchhod Chhe' and others by thousands of devotees.

''Jagannath Rath Yatra or the chariot journey of Lord Jagannath'', observed in the month of Ashadha (June-July), is a festival that celebrates the annual visit of the Lord to his birthplace, Dwarka.

The festival has been celebrated since ancient times. According to legend, Jagannatha is said to have expressed his desire to visit his birthplace every year for a week.

UNI