Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Odisha Minister of Tourism and Odia Language, Literature and Culture, said that the state is ready to host one of India’s biggest festivals, Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra, as per the schedule (July 4th, 2019) despite Cyclone Fani ravaging the state recently.
One of the most-awaited festivals in the Orissa state as well as in India, Jagannath Rath Yatra is an annual event, which is celebrated in the month of June or July. It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath (Lord Krishna), his sister Goddess Subhadra and his elder brother Lord Balabhadra. It is also called Gundicha Yatra, Chariot Festival, Dasavatara and Navadina Yatra.
While addressing the gathering at the outset of ‘5th Tourism Investors Meet 2019’ organized by FICCI, Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi said that the state government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has set an example for the world by evacuating more than a million people to safety with zero casualty.
“In about a month’s time, the Odisha government helped bring back things to normal and we are back in business. On July 4, we would be holding Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra and we extend our invitation to all tourists to discover the state which is the best kept secret of Incredible India,”
he said.
The extremely severe – Cyclone Fani hits the Odisha coast in Puri on May 3rd 2019 with a wind speed or around 175 kmph. Heavy rains and strong winds battered the coastal areas as the cyclone made landfall in the Puri district of Odisha. More than a million people have been shifted to safer areas. About 10,000 villages and 52 towns in nine districts in the eastern state of Odisha were in the direct line of Tropical Cyclone.
Reaching Jagannath Temple
By Air: The nearest airport to Puri is Biju Patnaik Airport, Bhubaneswar, which is around 60 km from Puri. The city is easily accessible from the airport. You can easily rent a cab. This airport is well-connected with important cities of the India such as Delhi, Nagpur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
By Rail: Puri is the last stop on the East Coast Railway. It is connected through direct express and other super-fast trains with important Indian cities such as Okha, Delhi, Tirupati, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and so on.
