Puri Rath Yatra begins, no devotees for second year in a row | In Pics

The 144th annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath began in Odisha's Puri today. The festival is being observed under strict Covid-19 restrictions: sans devotees and curfews being enforced to prevent people from gathering.

To prevent people from gathering on roads for a glimpse of the deities, a curfew has been imposed on the entire 19-km route of the procession from early morning till afternoon.

Pulling of the chariots will begin at 3 pm on Monday.

Strict Covid-19 curbs have been imposed, with all activities except medical emergencies prohibited on the three-kilometre stretch from Shree Jagannath Temple to Sri Gunducha Temple, the course of the rath yatra.

Around 2,800 purohits and 800 officials who are part of the rath yatra have been administered double doses of vaccines, undergone Covid-19 tests and have been allowed to participate only after testing negative.

Ahead of the festival, the priests and officials were isolated and made to stay in a government accommodation as a precautionary measure.

The yatra celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple, their aunt's home, some 2.5 kilometres away.