Chariot pulling resumed on Friday morning on the second day of the annual Rath Yatra, with devotees first pulling Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot along the Grand Road. Amid chants of “Jai Jagannath” and a deeply devotional atmosphere, lakhs of devotees joined the procession as the chariot began moving once again. The pulling resumed after the procession was halted on Thursday before all three chariots could reach their destination. As per an official statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the world-famous Ratha Yatra 2026 of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, Mahaprabhu Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Chakraraj Sudarshana was celebrated on Thursday in Puri with immense religious fervour, devotion and exemplary administrative coordination.

It also added that despite persistent rainfall and inclement weather throughout the day, the festival witnessed an estimated eight to nine lakh devotees from across Odisha, the country, and abroad, reflecting devotees' unparalleled faith in the deities.