Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 26 : On the eve of the 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath to be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel participated in the worship and evening aarti at the Jagannath temple. The Chief Minister felt blessed after having the divine darshan of Lord Jagannath, according to an official release.
After offering prayers and participating in the evening aarti at the Jagannathji temple in Ahmedabad, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended greetings to all citizens and stated that this traditional Rath Yatra has become a festival of social harmony for all sections of society. Tomorrow, on the day of Ashadhi Beej, Lord Jagannathji will embark on a city procession seated in a chariot along with sister Subhadradevi and brother Balbhadraji, offering darshan to the people along the way.
The Chief Minister extended his best wishes for the Rath Yatra, praying that the spirit of the festival endures and Lord Jagannathji's blessings bring lasting peace, prosperity, and happiness to Gujarat and the nation.
He said that with the help of AI, the state government and the police department have further strengthened the security arrangements, and 17 citizen assistance centres have been set up.
On this occasion, Mahant Dilipdasji Maharaj of the Jagannath temple, Minister of State for Cooperation Jagdish Vishwakarma, Member of Parliament Dinesh Makwana, City BJP President Prerak Shah, local MLAs, Deputy Mayor of AMC Jatin Patel, Standing Committee Chairman Shri Devang Dani, Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner GS Malik, and a large number of devotees were present.