Devotees welcome lord back home

Ahmedabad: With reinstatement of the deities - Lords Jagannath, Subhadra and Balram - in the sanctum sanctorum of Jagannath Temple on Thursday morning, the Rath Yatra was officially over for temple authorities. The mangala aarti, the first aarti of the day, was performed by BJP MP Paresh Rawal and singer Anuradha Paudwal.
Jagannath Temple authorities said that it is part of an age-old tradition for the Lord Jagannath to spend the night outside the temple upon return from the Rath Yatra."As the legend goes, the lord did not include Rukmini, his queen, into the procession, due to which she refused to allow their entry into the palace. After this, the lord requested and promised not to repeat the mistake, and was then allowed inside amid fanfare," said an official.
Mahant Dilipdas of the temple said that as a child and a teenager, he used to witness the grand procession of city's Rath Yatra with fascination. "It's my good fortune that I have been given the responsibility of that very event today. We have prayed to the lords for good rains and well-being of all," he said.