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

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

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

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

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

The 142nd Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra coincides with the Rath Yatra in Puri and began in the early 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.

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.