Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: Indian Railways to run 857 special trains for over 20 lakh pilgrims

Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: Indian Railways will operate 857 special trains towards Puri and back during the Jagannath Rath Yatra this year for approximately 20 lakh pilgrims. The special trains will be operated till June 30.

For the estimated 20 lakh pilgrims who are anticipated to attend this year's Jagannath Rath Yatra, Indian Railways will operate 857 special trains from and to Puri, according to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He said that all preparations had been done at the Puri station for the pilgrims who would be arriving for the Rath yatra. The Puri Rath Yatra will start on June 20 this year and end on June 28, 2023.

"At the Puri station, all preparations have been made for the pilgrims who are coming for the Rath yatra. For the approximately 20 lakh pilgrims (scheduled to gather for the yatra) 857 special trains have been set up, according to Vaishnaw.

East Coast Railway in a release on June 18, said that the Rath Yatra Special trains will be operated for the passengers visiting Puri during the nine-day festival. The special trains will be operated till June 30.

The special trains would run from several places in Odisha as well as nearby states including West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh. The trains would run between Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Puri from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Paradip, Gunupur, Sambalpur, Jagdalpur, Rourkela, and Angul in Odisha.

The Jagannath Puri Yatra or the famous chariot festival of India is of immense significance to Hindus and is celebrated with great pomp and splendour in the state of Odisha. The festival honours Lord Jagannath, who along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra are thought to be a manifestation of Lord Krishna. To take part in the spectacular festival, millions of devotees from all over the world congregate in and around Odisha during this period.