Puri, July 24 -- Thousands of devotees gathered in Odisha's Puri on Friday as the sacred Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Sudarshan from the Gundicha Temple to the Shri Jagannath Temple, commenced with the traditional Pahandi ritual.

Devotees from across the country and abroad thronged the pilgrim town to witness the grand procession, which marks the return of the deities to the Jagannath Temple after their stay at the Gundicha Temple following the Rath Yatra.

Earlier today, the current titular King of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, performed the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra, the age-old ritual of sweeping the chariots with a golden broom before the commencement of the Bahuda ...