Historic two-day Rath Yatra festivities begin: A glance at the spectacular celebrations across India

After 53 years, Odisha's Puri gears up for a monumental Rath Yatra spanning two days. President Droupadi Murmu to grace the Rath Yatra along with lakhs of devotees. The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra are being prepared for the annual Rath Yatra festival, in Puri. (PTI Photo)

Traditionally a single-day event, this year's Rath Yatra expands to two days due to special celestial configurations. (PTI Photo)

Some rituals, including 'Nabajouban Darshan' and 'Netra Utsav', which usually span several days, will be condensed into a single day on July 7. (PTI Photo)

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra will be ceremonially moved from the Lion's Gate of the temple to the Gundicha temple. (PTI Photo)

Rituals like 'Nabajouban Darshan', marking the deities' emergence after a 15-day ritual quarantine, and 'Netra Utsav', the painting of deity eyeballs, are integral to the event. In Pic: Devotees take part in the annual 'Rath Yatra' of Lord Jagannath, in Ahmedabad, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Commencing at 11 am on July 7, the 'Pahandi' ritual involves the dignified procession of the deities down the 22 steps known as 'Baisi Pahacha'. In Pic: Devotees take part in the Rath Yatra organised by ISKCON, in Dhanbad, on July 7, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Traditional chants and sounds of gongs, conches, and cymbals fill the air as the deities are prepared for their chariot journey. In Pic: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the inauguration of Rath Yatra organised by ISKCON, in Kolkata, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Scheduled for 4 pm, this ceremony includes fixing wooden horses to the chariots before the ceremonial pulling begins at 5 pm. In pic: Devotees perform traditional dance on the eve of the annual Rath Yatra, at the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad, on July 6. (PTI Photo)

Hundreds of thousands of devotees gather in Puri for this auspicious occasion, witnessing the grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and siblings amid festive fervor. In pic: Devotees take part in the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, in Prayagraj, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy participates in the Jagannath Rath Yatra, at Indira Park in Hyderabad, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Devotees take part in the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, in Dehradun, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during the 17th annual Rath Yatra at Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidhya Pratishthan (SGVP), in Ahmedabad, on July 7. (PTI Photo)

Devotees take part in the annual 'Rath Yatra' of Lord Jagannath, in Hyderabad, on July 7, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Artists perform during the inauguration of Rath Yatra organised, in Kolkata, on July 7, 2024. (PTI Photo)