"Rath yatra is an integral part of our culture and symbol of faith. Prayed to Lord Jagannath for peace, prosperity and happiness for the people of Gujarat," Patel tweeted later.
Devotees during 138th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
The city, which is infamous for a history of communal riots, is witnessing Eid-ul-Fitr and Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra simultaneously after around 30 years and followers of both the religions have pledged to avoid any untoward incident during the celebrations.
Religious leaders of both the communities exchanged sweets and flowers while wishing each other as Mahant Dilip Dasji Maharaj of Jagannath Temple visited Muslim clerics during 'Iftaar' and followers of Islam here offered flowers and food to the Lord.
State administration has made unprecedented security arrangements as the procession will pass through some communally sensitive areas such as Kalupur, Prem Darwaja, Delhi Chakla, Dariyapur and Shahpur in the old city.
UAVs, CCTv cameras and 20,000 policemen have been pressed into service to ensure that both the festivals are celebrated peacefully in the city.
Kolkata: Russian devotees dancing on the road during ISKCON Rathyatra in Kolkata on Saturday.
Apart from the main Rath Yatra organised in Ahmedabad, a total of 146 different Rath Yatra processions of Lord Jagannath as well as other deities are organised across the state, including in major cities like Bhavnagar, Surat, Vadodara, Anand and Rajkot.
Security arrangements in these cities have also been beefed up.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi with his son and MP Gaurav Gogoi offering prayers by taking sakis before flagging off the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Guwahati.
