Keonjhar: Thousands of devotees gathered to watch the procession and to pull the world’s tallest 72-foot chariot of Lord Baladebjew here on the second day of the annual Rath Yatra. After a long gap of 53 years, a two-day long car festival is being celebrated. Accordingly, the excitement among the devotees to pull the chariot was clearly visible. Pulling of the chariot was launched Sunday and halted after sunset. The chariot started rolling at 11 am Monday after ‘Sakala Dhupa’. The crowd of police personnel, volunteers and devotees pulled the chariot amid beating of gongs, bells, mridangas, conches and haribol chants, hulahuli and sankirtan.
In the evening, the deities were taken to Sri Gundicha temple in traditional ‘Dhadi Pahandi’. Due to the favourable weather, people from different regions thronged here to enjoy the festival. Extensive measures were put in place by the district administration along with the police for the safety of devotees and traffic control. Various social organisations supported the administration by taking security measures and maintaining peace and order.