THANE: Hundreds of devotees from the Odisha community are all set to step out onto the lake city by lanes to participate in the Rath Yatra celebrations similar to that of Puri in Odisha.The procession which is marked by hymns and chanting of Lord Jagannath is likely to begin at 2.30 pm from the sun temple at Manorama Nagar. After conducting a series of rituals at the temple, worshippers revel in the spirit of the festival by traveling to various parts of the city namely R Mall area, Manpada junction, Happy valley area, Khevra circle, Gandhi Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Upvan lake The chariot is adorned with the idol of Lord Jagannath and Lord Baldev and their sister Subhadra as devotees believe it commemorates the long journey of the Gods to the temple of Gundicha in Odisha.PK Pattanaik, President of Shree Jagannath Cultural Education Trust said, “This is the 10th year that the Yatra will be held in the city. People from the Odisha community and followers of Lord Jagannath come down to take part in the celebrations as they are unable to go to the one organized at Puri. On each day of the nine-day festival Prasad is prepared by the locals and offered to the deity.”“This is a very auspicious occasion for us. If one gets a glimpse of the deity in the procession or is lucky to pull the chariot by hand then they are considered blessed by the Gods,” said Deepak Mohanthy, a resident of Ghodbundar road.There are several cultural programs and activities planned during the nine days.

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