Lakhs witness Bahuda Yatra as Jagannath siblings return to Puri temple

Puri, Jul 24 (PTI): Lakhs of devotees on Friday witnessed the 'Bahuda Yatra', the return car festival of Lord Jagannath and sibling deities, as the three majestic wooden chariots reached the Lion's Gate of the 12th-century shrine after covering a distance of 2.6 km from the Shree Gundicha Temple.

The chariot-pulling began at 4.30 pm with Lord Balabhadra's 'Taladhwaj', which was the first to reach the destination, followed by Goddess Subhadra's 'Darpadalan'. Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosh' reached the Lion's Gate at 10.57 pm.

The Bahuda Yatra was, however, marred by the death of a devotee from Cuttack, who allegedly died of suffocation while pulling Goddess Subhadra's 'Darpadalan' chariot.