Narendra Modi wishes nation as Jagannath Yatra commences in Puri; Amit Shah offers 'mangala aarti' in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes to the nation as the 141st Jagannath Yatra commenced on Saturday in the city of Puri, Odisha. “With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, may our country scale new heights of growth. May every Indian be happy and prosperous,” the prime minister tweeted. Modi is said to have sent offerings to the temple. He has been sending them for many years according to Zee News.

Greetings on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra.

With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, may our country scale new heights of growth. May every Indian be happy and prosperous.

Jai Jagannath! pic.twitter.com/1Ifrxueaiu

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2018

[caption id=“attachment_4739161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Devotees at the Jagannath rath yatra in Puri, Odisha. Reuters.[/caption] The yatra is a nine-day annual festival. It will have three chariots of the deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra — taken along a 15-kilometre route. The festival is expected to attract nearly 10 lakh devotees from many parts of the state and country. The 141st rath yatra of Lord Jagannath Temple commenced amid tight security, according to media reports. Tight security has been imposed along the 15-kilometre-long route of the Jagannath Rath Yatra. Over 14,000 military personnel, 25 companies of paramilitary forces and 22 companies of State Reserve police were deployed near the venue, according to ABP News. Helium balloons and high definition cameras were also installed. [caption id=“attachment_4739081” align=“alignright” width=“380”] BJP president Amit Shah in Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad. Twitter/@AmitShah[/caption] The procession started at around 9.30 am and will go on till 8.30 pm. It will also pass through communally sensitive areas like Jamalpur, Kalupur, Shahpur and Dariyapur in the city. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah arrived offered his prayers at the Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Shah participated in the “mangla aarti” on Saturday, according to media reports. According to PTI, the BJP president will also address a youth parliament at Karnavati University in Ahmedabad. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP president Jitu Vaghani will also attend the meet. With PTI inputs