Bhubaneswar, 24 July (H.S.): The sacred Bahuda Yatra, marking the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from the Gundicha Temple to the Jagannath Temple, commenced today amid elaborate security and crowd management arrangements.

Thousands of devotees began arriving in the holy city early in the morning to witness the auspicious procession. The Grand Road (Bada Danda) is expected to witness a massive turnout, with pilgrims from across Odisha and other parts of the country gathering to catch a glimpse of the deities as they proceed back to the 12th-century shrine.

The Bahuda Yatra, the concluding phase of the annual Rath Yatra festival, has drawn lakhs of devotees to Puri. Authorities have put in place extensive measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the event, including heightened security deployment, traffic regulation and systematic crowd control.

Security personnel have been stationed at key points across the city, with special emphasis on managing pilgrim movement and maintaining order along the Grand Road, the route of the three chariots.

As part of the traffic management plan, officials have established 31 designated parking zones in and around Puri to accommodate the surge of visitors. These facilities can handle approximately 7,330 light motor vehicles and over 18,000 two-wheelers. Additional traffic diversions and regulatory measures have also been implemented to manage the heavy influx of vehicles and ensure hassle-free movement during the festival.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda