Bhubaneswar, July 25 -- Lakhs of devotees from across the country thronged the pilgrim town of Puri on Friday to witness Bahuda Yatra, the return car festival of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, marking the final phase of the world-famous annual Rath Yatra amid elaborate security arrangements.
The Grand Road (Bada Danda) reverberated with chants of "Jai Jagannath" as devotees pulled the towering wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, transforming the seaside town into a sea of devotion.
The sibling deities had begun their annual sojourn on July 16, travelling from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, regarded as their birthplace. After a week-long stay there, they embarked on the ceremon...