BHUBANESWAR, ORISSA, INDIA, July 12, 2002: The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in the temple town of Puri was incident-free, but for the death of a 30-year-old man who fell from the temple while trying to have a glimpse of the yatra. More than 800,000 devotees participated in the day-long parade of giant chariots. The three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were pulled by devotees from the Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple. The English word “juggernaut,” “An overwhelming, advancing force,” is derived from this chariot festival. Some 4,000 police personnel were deployed on the Grand Road, the route of the Yatra.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike