NSG snipers, AI-enabled cameras: Spotlight on preparations for Rath Yatra 2025

As anticipation builds across India, devotees are preparing for the grand Rath Yatra --the annual chariot festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. The sacred journey, from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, will begin on Friday, June 27.

Celebrated on the Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashadha (June–July), Rath Yatra is one of Hinduism’s most significant festivals. The nine-day celebration begins with the iconic procession of deities on massive wooden chariots and concludes with Niladri Bijay on July 5, 2025, marking their return to the main temple.

Puri

Home to the renowned Jagannath Dham, Puri is gearing up for the grand chariot procession, which attracts nearly 2.5 million visitors annually, according to news reports.

A day before the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, thousands of devotees on Thursday thronged Odisha's Puri to witness the reappearance of sibling deities at the 12th-century shrine here.

Around 10,000 security personnel have been deployed, and over 250 Artificial Intelligence-enabled cameras have been installed in various places in the town for surveillance.

For the first time, NSG (National Security Guard) snipers have also been deployed on the rooftops of buildings given the threat assessment, according to reports.

Digha

Mamata Banerjee reached Digha on Wednesday — two days before the event — to oversee preparations, will inaugurate Digha’s first-ever Rath Yatra, which will begin from the main gate of the Jagannath temple on Friday.

From Kolaghat to Digha, the 116-km stretch has been decorated with large posters and flex banners of the Digha temple, the Rath and Mamata. Thousands of saffron flags bearing images of Jagannath are fluttering.

A source said that with around two lakh people expected to attend the Rath Yatra in Digha, the administration's biggest challenge would be managing the crowd and preventing any untoward incident.

ISKCON Kolkata

Forty-eight years after trundling on tyres used for Boeing aircraft, the chariot used during ISKCON's Rath Yatra in Kolkata has got new tyres that are used for Sukhoi 4th generation fighter jets.

For making every devotee feel closer to Lord Jagannath's chariot, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) said a devotee can track the movement of the Rath Yatra in Kolkata on June 27 on a website.

"Wherever you are - near or far - you can now track the divine chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladev and Devi Subhadra Devi in real time and stay connected with the divine journey by scanning the QR code from Kolkatarathyatra.live website," he said.

ISKCON Vrindavan

ISKCON Vrindavan spokesperson Ravilochan Das said on Monday that the chariot procession will begin from Radha Orchid Colony and pass through key city landmarks including Masani, Deeg Gate, Chowk Bazaar, Holi Gate, and Bharatpur Gate, before concluding its journey back at Radha Orchid via Kalyanam Karoti.

The yatra will commence in the presence of several distinguished guests, including actor and local MP Hema Malini, MLAs Shrikant Sharma, Rajesh Chaudhary, Thakur Meghshyam Singh, and Pooran Prakash, along with the District Magistrate and other dignitaries.

Delhi

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined thousands of devotees for the grand celebration of the Rath Yatra in Kamla Nagar, Delhi, on Sunday. This marked a departure from the traditional schedule of the festival, which is set to take place at the Jagannath Temple in Puri on June 27 this year.

The event has drawn criticism from the opposition BJD and the Odisha unit of the Congress, who have accused the BJP of disrespecting religious traditions. They have also demanded an apology from the Delhi Chief Minister for organising what they termed an "untimely" Rath Yatra.

Ahmedabad

The Rath Yatra procession, led by chariots, will start at around 7 am on June 27 from the 400-year-old Lord Jagannath temple in the Jamalpur area.

It will pass through various areas in Old City, including communally sensitive ones, during the 16 km route before returning to the temple by 8 pm. The procession usually consists of 18 decorated elephants, 100 trucks and 30 aakhadas (local gymnasiums). 

Ahmedabad crime branch will deploy an AI-powered visual analytics software which will alert police in advance about crowding patterns, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bharat Patel said.

Ranchi

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner, DIG-cum-SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha, and other senior officials reviewed the preparedness and security arrangements for the Rath Yatra fair at Jagannathpur in Dhurwa.

Sinha stated that stringent security measures have been implemented, including the installation of watchtowers and CCTV cameras within the fair premises.

The deputy commissioner confirmed that adequate arrangements have been made for electricity supply, mobile toilets, drinking water, fire tenders, and ambulances.