[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Notwithstanding the stampede and hostile climate, a wave of spiritualism swept across Grand Road when the iconic chariots of Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister goddess Subhadra started rolling amidst chants of 'Jai Jagannath!', beating of cymbals and blowing of conches.

With police on their toes, devotees brushed aside all odds and tugged the three chariots in frenzied excitement on the 3-km-long Grand Road till Gundicha Temple, which will host the chariots till the Deities' return on July 14.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

"We took all precautions to counter terror strike. Barring stray incidents, in which some devotees fainted due to heat and humidity, the festival was hassle-free," DGP K B Singh said. When asked about the stampede, Singh said the cause of the devotee's death is being investigated.

From dawn, devotees started occupying their positions to witness the annual extravaganza. The sun blazed till 3 pm, but a brief period of rain around 5 pm brought some relief to devotees. "I was not worried about the inclement weather. Nothing can stop me from participating in this event as I have been coming to Rath Yatra without fail for the last 15 years," said Prashant Satapathy, a devotee from Mayurbhanj.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Balaram das, a foreign devotee, was also very excited. "This is 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 express my happiness in words," the ISKCON devotee said.

It was a treat to watch Odissi and Mahari dancers performing in front of the chariots. Some artisans from Maharashtra attracted eyeballs by painting rangoli in front of the chariots.

Unlike last year, rituals were delayed for some hours this time, allegedly due to some priests allowing influential pilgrims to touch the Deities despite a ban. "The ceremonial procession of the Deities started very early. But the ritual was completed in a delay. It is difficult to guarantee timely completion of all rituals in a grand festival like Rath Yatra," said temple's Chief Administrator Suresh Mohapatra.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]