Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 7 (ANI): In a festive and spiritual atmosphere, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy inaugurated the nine-day-long Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra near NTR Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
The Jagannath Rath Yatra was organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Hyderabad.
On the other side, the city of Mahakal, Ujjain, resounded with the chants of Lord Jagannath, as, according to the tradition, the Rath Yatra started from two places in the city.
A throng of devotees was spotted pulling the Lord’s chariot with the help of ropes. The whole city echoed with the chants of “Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe Radhe Radhe.”
In Ujjain too, the Rath Yatra was organised by the ISKCON temple which started at around 2 pm on Sunday.
It started from Krishi Upaj Mandi Chauraha on Agar Road in Ujjain.
In the city, for the first time, three chariots were included in the Rath Yatra of ISKCON.
Lord Baldev was riding on the front on the ‘Taal Dhwaj Rath” while Maharani Subhadra was second in a row on the “Darp Dalan Rath”. Lord Jagannath was residing on the third and last chariot to give darshan to the devotees.
Throughout the way, thousands of devotees were eager to take a mere glimpse of their Lord.
Notably, the different groups from Bundelkhand, the Korku tribal dance troupe, the Gond tribal dance troupe, and a group from Ukraine and Russia participated in the yatra.
On the other hand, ISKCON temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore organised the yatra in which thousands of people participated and chanted bhajan kirtan.
During the journey, the young men and women were pulling the chariot with a rope.
While speaking with ANI, Indore’s ISKCON temple president Mahaman Das spoke about the yatra and said, “This yatra is taken out on the lines of Puri, in which thousands of people participate to have darshan of the Lord and pull his chariot.”
He added, “Jagannath Yatra is being taken out all over the world today. The whole world is celebrating this festival. People should come and enjoy the festival…”
Earlier today, a large number of devotees from across the country gathered today in Odisha’s Puri to take the blessings of Lord Jagannath as a two-day Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra commenced.
Odisha Police is using AI technology on a pilot basis for effective traffic and crowd management during the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra.
The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is believed to be as old as the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is celebrated on the Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha (waxing moon fortnight) in the month of Ashadh. The Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra is being celebrated today.
The festival is associated with Lord Jagannath, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, and his siblings. During the Yatra, the deities Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and his sister Subhadra are carried on wooden chariots from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple in Puri.
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday took part in the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri.
Extending wishes to the citizens, President Droupadi Murmu, in a post on X said, “On the occasion of the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, I extend my heartfelt best wishes to all the countrymen. Today, countless Jagannath lovers from all over the country and the world are eagerly waiting to see the three forms of Bhagavat seated on the chariot. On the occasion of this great festival, I pray to Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath for everyone’s happiness, peace and prosperity”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended wishes to the people on the commencement of the sacred Rath Yatra in Odisha and prayed that the blessings of Lord Jagannath continue to be bestowed upon them.”Greetings on the start of the sacred Rath Yatra. We bow to Mahaprabhu Jagannath and pray that his blessings constantly remain upon us,” posted PM Modi on X, on Sunday.
Earlier on July 6, Bhubaneswar-based miniature artist, L Eswar Rao, curated eco-friendly chariots of the holy trinity Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra using papers and incense sticks ahead of the world-famous Rath Yatra.
The deities sitting inside the holy chariots have been made out of tamarind seeds, and completed in seven days. The chariots are two inches tall from bottom to top. (ANI)
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