Puri, July 12 -- Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the Erstwhile King of Puri, shared the significance of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, calling it one of the rare opportunities for the devotees of Lord Jagannath to have darshans outside the temple.

While talking to the media, Deb claimed that the rituals of Jagannath Yatra were decided by Lord Jagannath himself. Noting the significance of the festival, he added that Rath Yatra encourages devotees of different communities to come together in one spirit of devotion and participate in the festival.

"Lord Jagannath himself commanded the king that you have to follow my festivals in this manner... Jyeshtha Purnima every year is celebrated as snan yatra because he is the lord of the universe, and...