Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra Celebrated in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dt: 02.07.: The Annual Rath Yatra Festival was celebrated in Bengaluru with much fanfare and Festive fervour. Commencing from the wee hours of the day, the religious rituals like Mangala Arati, Abakash, Mailam, worshipping Sun, praying Gatekeepers and Sahanamela were performed at the main Jagannath Temple of the city situated at Agara. Since the Rath Yatra has been celebrated offline after two years of Corona interruptions, unusual enthusiasm and enchantments were marked among the devotees during the occasion.  

The Dhadi Pahandi of all four Deities were started 12.15 p.m. in afternoon. Lord Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra, Godess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath were taken in a procession from the Anasara room to the 28 feet high immaculately decorated colourful chariot stationed in front of the Temple. Trustee of the temple Sitikantha Sadhangi did the traditional job of Cherrapahanra. At about 2.30 P.M. in the afternoon the pulling of the chariot started with the playing of Ghanta, Kartala, Mrudanga, Jhanja and chanting of Jai Jagannath slogans by the strong crowd of around 25,000 viewers.

The distinguished Guests graced the Rath Yatra Festival this year include Chief Minister of  Karnataka Basavaraj S. Bommai, M.P. of Central Bengaluru P.C.Mohan, State Minister Arvind Limbavali and M.L.A. M. Satish Reddy. The entire arrangements of the Festival were conducted smoothly by the Trustees and Members of Temple Management Committee like Nihar Samantara, Dr. Pratap Pani, Kamakhya Panda, Justice J.P.Udgata, HaraPrasad Mohapatra, Manoj Patra and Punyashloka Khuntia.

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra Celebrated in New Delhi

New Delhi, Dt: 02.07:. 44th Rath Yatra Festival celebrated at the main Jagannath Temple of the National capital region at Hauz Khas Village in New Delhi amidst much fanfare and spiritual fervour. Commencing from the wee hours of the day all the religious rituals have been performed in utmost solemnity and devotion. Since the Rath Yatra is being celebrated offline after two years of corona interruptions unusual enthusiasm and enchantments were witnessed among the devotees during the occasion. Because the weather was pleasant and cloudy around 50,000 devotees gathered to witness the Festival. The Managing body of the Temple Shree Neelachala Seva Sangha ensured that the wearing of mask is a must among the crowd. Around 11.30 a.m. in the morning the Four Deities were taken in Pahandi  procession to the 25 feet high colourfully decorated chariot stationed at the Grand Road in front of the temple. With the recitals of hymns, roaring of slogans like Haribol and Jai Jagannath, sounding of Huluhuli, blowing of conch and playing of musical instruments such as Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga by the devotees, Secretary of Neelachala Seva Sangha and Renowned Philanthropist Rabindra Nath Pradhan conducted the traditional service of sweeping on the chariots called ‘Chherapahanra’.  

Around 2.45 p.m. in afternoon the chariot pulling was started. The Royal Chariot having the Four Deities on board was pulled in Shri Aurobindo Marg till 2.5 K.M. to Ansari Nagar and then taken back to temple premises in the evening. The devotees gathered both sides of the Road to have a holy Darshan of the Lord of the Universe. Then the Deities remained on the chariot for public viewing till night. At about 10.00 p.m. in the night all the four deities were taken to the makeshift aunt house at the basement of the temple.  

The distinguished Guests attended the Festival include Vice – Chairman of NDMC Satish Upadhyay and M.L.A. Somnath Bharati. Laxmi Narayan Bebarta and Dr. Sarojini Pani did the Live narration of the Mega Event.

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra Celebrated in Gujarat  

Ahmedabad, Dt: 01.07:. Annual Rath Yatra Festival was held at the Jagannath Temple at Adalaj in between Ahmedabad and Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat. Hosted by the Temple Management body Shree Jagannath Cultural Academy and Research Centre (JCARC) the chariot pulling ceremony was observed with much fanfare and festive fervour. Since the Rath Yatra has been celebrated offline after two years of Corona Disruption, unusual enthusiasm and enchantment were witnessed among the devotees during the occasion.

The holy day started from the dawn with the performances of the Religious rituals like Mangala Arati, Abakash, Mailam, Worshipping Sun, Praying Gatekeepers and Sahana Mela by the Servitors. Since the Weather God was pleasant, around 15,000 devotees gathered to witness the Festival. Around 10 A.M. in the morning the Four Deities were taken in Pahandi to the colourfully decorated 22 feet high Chariot with the recitals of hymns, shouting of Slogans like Haribol, Jai Jagannath and Playing of musical instruments like Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga. The special attraction of the event was the Pahandi Journey of Goddess Subhadra being conducted exclusively by ladies. The Revenue Minister of Gujarat Rajendra S. Trivedi, Chairman of JCARC Dr. Sudeep Kumar Nanda and Municipal Commissioner of Surat Banchhanidhi Pani did the Traditional Sweeping of Chariot called Cherrapahanra.

The chariot was pulled at a Six Kilometer stretch Road till Shani Temple, Swami Narayan Temple and Tree Temple and then Brought back to the premises of the Temple at 4 p.m. After that the Deities were taken back from the chariot and placed in the pandal at the community hall of temple in ground floor. The general public can have a view of Gods and Goddess here till the Niladri Bije day informed the member secretary of JCARC Badri Mahapatra. 

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra Celebrated in Vizag

Visakhapatnam, Dt: 02.07.: Holy Rath Yatra was celebrated at the Jagannath Temple situated in the scenic hills of Dasapalla in Visakhapatnam with lots of fanfare and spiritual fervour. Commencing from the morning all the religious rituals have been performed before the Deities in utmost solemnity and pure devotion. Since the Car Festival is being celebrated offline after two years of corona disruptions unusual enthusiasm and extraordinary enchantment were witnessed among the devotees congregated during the occasion. Around 3,000 spectators gathered to perform the most sacred act of having a glance of the Lord of the Universe on the chariot.

The managing body of the temple, Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj painstakingly ensured that the Festival should pass on in a  smooth and steady manner. Around 3.00 p.m. in the afternoon the Pahandi Bije of the Gods and Goddess commenced from the sanctum sanctorum with the help of DRM of Waltair Railways Division, Anup Kumar Satpathy and ADRM Manoj Kumar Sahoo. First Lord Sudarshan then elder Brother Balabhadra, followed by Devi  Subhadra and at the end Lord Jagannath were taken to the colourfully decorated chariot stationed in front of the temple in a grand procession. At around 3.30 p.m. with recitals of hymns, shouting of slogans like Haribol, Jai Jagannath  and playing of musical instruments like Ghanta, Kartala, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga, the erstwhile Ruler of Dasapalla Lal Saheb Pramod Deo Bhanja conducted the traditional sweeping of the chariots called Cherrapahanra.  The special attraction of the Mega Event was the spectacular playing of Ghanta and Cymbals by the troupe came from Berhampur in Odisha. At around 5.00 p.m. the chariot pulling started from Dasapalla hills and reached the Aunt’s house at Lawson’s Bay Colony covering the distance of near about 5 km at 7 p.m. Then the Trinity were taken inside Mausi Maa’s place and were placed in the pandal.

The Deities will remain at the Gundicha Temple till the Bahuda Jatra on 9th July 2022 and give darshan to general public from there, announced by the President of managing committee and Vice President Orissa Stevedores Ltd Jitendra Kumar Nayak.  

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JAGANNATH PURI: The chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra reached Gundicha temple on Friday amid chants of “Jai Jagannath”, “Hari Bolo” and blowing of conches and beating of cymbals by lakhs of devotees. The Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, Dibyasingh Deb, arrived in his royal palanquin and carried out the Chhera Panhara ritual, the ceremonial sweeping of the chariots with a golden broom, amid chanting of hymns by the priests.

In the last two years, the Rath Yatra was conducted without participation of people due to COVID-19 pandemic. As this year, devotees were allowed, the Bada Danda swelled with a sea of humanity despite severe humidity. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Orissa High Court Chief Justice S. Muralidhar, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bishweswar Tudu and several state ministers were present on the occasion and pulled the chariot of Lord Jagannath.   

More than 180 platoons of police personnel, including 1,000 officers of various ranks, were deployed in and around Puri to ensure safe conduct of the festival. The Rath Yatra was also celebrated in various other places of Odisha including Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Keonjhar and Koraput with participation of thousands of devotees.

BARIPADA: A day after people congregated in large numbers at the Jagannath temple in Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district during the Rath Yatra, the administration clamped Section 144 around the temple premises. A senior police officer said that the prohibitor order had been invoked within a 500-metre radius of the temple and would remain in force till the Bahuda Yatra.

He said that three platoons of police and 20 officers had been deployed near the temple to prevent any untoward situation. Though the temple remained closed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a large congregation of devotees in front of the temple on Monday. The Odisha Government’s decision to allow Rath Yatra only in Puri without devotees in view of the COVID-19 pandemic has not gone down well with the sevayats (servitors) of Jagannath Temple here.

KENDRAPARA: The Taladwaja chariot of Lord Baladevjew was stuck at the roadside while being pulled by devotees towards the Mausima temple after it hit an electric pole near Raghunathjew Math. The pulling of the chariot was stopped as it suffered damage due to an accident.

The chariot was pulled to the Mausima temple on Monday, which was a deviation from the tradition.  Servitors alleged that the accident occurred due to neglect by the district administration. On the day of Rath Yatra, the chariot could be pulled to a distance of 100 metres only as it met with the unfortunate accident due to alleged faulty management.

The endowment department, on the other hand, clarified that the accident happened due to faulty driving by the charioteer. According to Balabhadra Patri, an endowment official, neither the department nor the district administration had anything to do with the mishap.

Thousands of devotees, however, were left disappointed as they failed to get an opportunity to pull the chariot after two years of restrictions due to COVID-19.

Kendrapara town is known as Tulasi Khetra, where Baladevjew is the presiding deity of the Baladevjew temple.

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