Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel monitored the 147th Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad by observing its live broadcast on the video wall of the CM Dashboard at his residence on Sunday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah participated in the Mangla Aarti at Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad early in the morning. “Like every year, today on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannathji’s Rath Yatra, I had the good fortune to participate in the Mangala Aarti of Sri Jagannath Mandir located in Ahmedabad. Mangala Aarti always brings immense peace and renewed energy. I pray to Lord Jagannathji for everyone’s welfare,” Shah posted on X.
Performed Mangla Aarti at Shri Jagannatha Temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. May Mahaprabhu bestow upon everyone the blessings of good health and happiness.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 7, 2024
Jai Jagannatha! pic.twitter.com/FNEVbYSVA8
The Chief Minister, who commenced the Rath Yatra from Jagannath Temple in the morning with the Pahind ceremony, later supervised the route, location, and security arrangements managed by police using technology from the video wall at his residence. He was accompanied by Chief Secretary Raj Kumar, Director General of Police Vikas Sahay, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Pankaj Joshi, along with police, municipal corporation, and ICT officials.
In addition to around 12,500 police personnel, approximately 24,000 personnel, including those from a paramilitary force, were stationed along the route. The police installed 46 high-technology video cameras with 360-degree movement at 14 locations, 22 public announcement systems at more than 10 locations, and for the first time, 21 face-recognition cameras at 14 locations along the Rath Yatra route. Emergency call boxes were also set up.
More than 100 tableaus participated in the Jagannath Yatra in Ahmedabad. While cricket-themed tableaus showcased huge posters of all the World Cups won by the Indian cricket team, others focused on themes like organ donation and Ayodhya’s Ram temple.
Thirteen cases of medical emergencies were reported during the Rath Yatra till 4 pm. The 108 emergency services reported three cases: a 65-year-old man with a suspected stroke was admitted to SVP Hospital, a 22-year-old man with convulsions was shifted to Asarwa Civil Hospital, and a 57-year-old woman complaining of vomiting and sweating was hospitalized. Additionally, one person fell down and three others fainted.
Rath Yatras were also organized in the districts of Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Kheda, and Aravalli.