Overview

• The Pahandi ritual began at 10 am—two hours ahead of schedule—with Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath seated on the Taladwaj, Darpadalan and Nandighosh chariots.
• At 1:35 pm Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb performed the Chhera Pahanra ceremony, sweeping the chariot platforms with a golden broom.
• Devotees pulled the three chariots over the final 2.6 km stretch from Gundicha Temple to the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple.
• Authorities installed more than 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras and deployed drones to support a 10,000-strong security force.
• Parallel return-chariot festivals were held across West Bengal and in Visakhapatnam, highlighting the event’s wider cultural resonance.