Digha Rath Yatra: Road restrictions for pilgrims
This year's Rath Yatra at Digha's new Jagannath temple comes with a twist—devotees won't be on the road pulling chariots. Instead, they'll get to touch ropes stretched along barricades for the 1km procession.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says this setup is all about keeping things safe and organized as huge crowds are expected.
CM to pull ropes on road
CM Banerjee will kick off the festival by sweeping the road and helping pull the ropes herself.
She checked out the three main chariots and met with police to make sure everything runs smoothly.
With lakhs of people likely to show up, crowd control is a big deal this year.
Over 30 lakh visitors
Since opening in April, Digha's Jagannath temple has already seen over 30 lakh visitors.
The whole town is decked out in decorations and saffron flags for the festival.
This new way of joining in lets everyone stay part of the tradition—just with a bit more order and safety for such a massive gathering.