WATCH: Amit Shah visits Ahmedabad's Jagannath temple, performs 'aarti' with wife

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the early hours of Thursday participated in a 'Mangala Aarti' at the historic Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad, ahead of the annual Gujarat Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Clad in a white shirt and yellow overcoat, Shah who was accompanied by his wife Sonal Shah offered prayers to Lord Jagannath.

Visuals of Union Minister Amit Shah in Ahmedabad's Jagannath temple

Watch the Home Minister perform the Mangala Aarti with his wife below:

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See pictures from Union Minister's Shah's visit to the temple below:

It is Shah's first visit to the state after he assumed office as Union Home Minister.

Shah was on a two-day visit to the city and inaugurated a number of new projects.

Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri:

The 142nd Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra coincides with the Rath Yatra in Puri and began in the wee hours today.

The nine-day annual chariot festival begins amid tight security cover put in place along the different localities in the city, through which the procession will pass through after commencing from the Lord Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur locality.

The about 450-year-old temple is famed for its Rath Yatra, which is counted among the third most important and largest after the Ratha Yatra at Puri.

Website on Puri's Shree Jagannath Temple launched

The administration at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri has launched an interactive website, replete with information on rituals, their significance and programme schedule, ahead of the annual Rath Yatra on Thursday.

At a simple ceremony, Puri Gajapati (king) Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb launched the portal on Tuesday in the presence of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) officials, servitors and other dignitaries.

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(With agency inputs)