PURI, July 11, 2013: Neither a blazing sun nor a heavy downpour could deter the festive spirit of lakhs of devotees, who defied heightened threat perceptions to ensure a smooth start to the nine-day Rath Yatra here on Wednesday.

As the chariots of Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister goddess Subhadra rolled on Grand Road here, fears of a possible terror strike in the wake of Sunday's Bodh Gaya blasts on the 12th century shrine gradually evaporated, bringing relief to the state government.

With the police on their toes, devotees brushed aside apprehensions and tugged the three iconic chariots in frenzied excitement on their 3-km-long journey to Gundicha temple, which would host the chariots till their return on July 18. By sunset, only Balabhadra's Taladhwaja reached its destination.

"Barring stray incidents, in which some devotees fainted due to heat, the festival was hassle-free," Puri SP Anup Sahoo said. In a freak accident, Bhamara Bhoi, priest, suffered serious leg injuries when he fell down while pulling Lord Jagannath's Nandigosha.

But that didn't affect the other devotees, who pulled the chariots with great enthusiasm and religious fervour. "Though there was talk about terrorists targeting the festival, I didn't care. Nothing can stop me from participating in this event as I have been coming to the Rath Yatra without fail for the last 15 years," said Narayan Moharana (45) from Nayagarh.

Jayanarayan Dasa, an American, too, was excited. "This the only occasion when the deities come out of the temple, which is out of bounds for us, and we get a chance to see them from close proximity. I cannot prevent myself from coming here," the Iskcon devotee said.

From dawn, devotees started occupying their positions to witness the annual extravaganza. The sun blazed till 1 pm, with about 150 devotees fainting. Subsequently, the skies opened up to the relief of the people.

Unlike last year, rituals were delayed by an hour allegedly due to cops allowing some influential pilgrims to enter the sanctum sanctorum for 'darshan' of the deities.

The police also had a daunting task ensuring safety of VVIPs, including Governor S C Jamir and CM Naveen Patnaik. Around 110 platoons of police were garrisoned to maintain law and order. CCTV cameras kept vigil on anti-social activities.

Source: The Times  of  India, DT. July 11, 2013.