Puri: The Grand Road (Bada Danda) in Puri turned into a rain‑soaked spectacle as continuous showers lashed the holy town during the world‑famous Rath Yatra. Puri recorded over 200 mm of rainfall in the past 45 hours till 5.30 am on Thursday.
The Bhubaneswar Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast that rain will continue during the festival, with cloudy skies, moderate showers, thunder, and lightning likely over the next six hours. The bulletin further indicated that temperatures would hover between 25–27°C, with humidity ranging from 98–100%, creating a muggy atmosphere despite the rain.
Despite the downpour, thousands of devotees thronged the route, their enthusiasm undeterred as they awaited the divine glimpse of the Holy Trinity. Devotees, drenched but determined, filled the Grand Road, chanting and celebrating amid the showers, proving that neither rain nor storm can dampen the fervour of Jagannath’s annual journey.