The Yatra was flagged off at Sayajigunj. Around 30,000 devotees from different localities in Raopura, Rajmahel Road and other areas thronged the streets singing bhajans, dancing and walking along the gigantic chariot carrying the idols of the three deities. The Yatra convoy had different tableaux lined up that ran over a kilometre. It concluded at the Polo Ground well before the dusk, after which the Rath was dismantled and the idols taken to the ISKCON temple in a private vehicle.

Joint Commissioner of Police Pravin Sinha said: “The Yatra was totally free of untoward incidents. After identifying the communally sensitive points, we had almost tripled the police watch there. This proved effective in dealing with the potential troublemakers.”

He said that 700 homeguards, 50 civil defence volunteers, seven companies of the SRP, including two specially for the Rath Yatra, around 2,000 police personnel and over 50 officers were deployed to ensure the safety of the Yatra.

A few days before the Yatra, the police department had carried out a major crackdown on illegal activities and miscreants. Sources in the police said that some troublemakers fled from their houses for a day.