Puri: The three majestic chariots carrying Lord Jagannath and His Holy Siblings during the 9-day long Ratha Jatra reached Sharadhabali near the Gundicha Temple in Puri in the afternoon.

While Lord Balabhadra atop Taladhwaja chariot reached the temple at around 1 PM, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath arrived at Sharadhabali one after another by 2.35 PM.

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The rituals would be commenced shortly by servitors to escort the deities to the temple, where the Lord will stay for a week.

The idols will be taken into the temple in the 'goti pahandi' ritual -- a ceremonial procession.

The Lord of Universe will give darshan to His devotees on Adapa Mandap, also called 'Janma Bedi' at the Gundicha Temple till a day before Bahuda Jatra (return journey). During this period, special rituals will be conducted at the temple.

Soaked in devotion and chanting 'Jay Jagannath', the devotees pulled the chariots towards the deities' birthplace Gundicha Temple in the morning on the second day of the annual Ratha Jatra.

The atmosphere reverberated with the sounds of 'Hari Bol', 'Jay Jagannath' and percussion instruments like gongs, cymbals and mridangam.

After sunset yesterday, the chariots were halted a few metres away from the Singhadwara of the Jagannath Temple. The chariot pulling resumed at 9.30 AM today after completion of morning rituals of deities atop the chariots.

This year, the Netra Utsav, Nabajoubana darshan and Ratha Jatra fell on same day (July 7) after a gap of 53 years. As per the schedule, the Ratha Jatra rituals of Lord Jagannath were performed after conducting the rituals for Netra Utsav and Nabajoubana darshan sans presence of devotees inside the Jagannath Temple.