Eastern Railway prepares special trains for shravani mela pilgrimage to sultanganj, ET Infra
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The Eastern Railway (ER) has made preparations for the month-long Shravani Mela that is scheduled to start on July 11.The ER has made arrangements of special trains so that pilgrims reach Sultanganj railway station.Pilgrims reach Sultanganj (Bhagalpur) from across the nation and neighbouring countries to fetch holy water from the Ganga river and start their trek barefoot to Baidyanath Dham temple in Deoghar (Jharkhand) to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.The ER has also directed additional stoppages at Sultanganj railway station for the existing mail and express trains running on the Sahibganj-Bhagalpur-Jamalpur railway section under the Malda railway division of ER during the Shravani Mela.During the Shravani Mela, approximately 55 to 60 lakh pilgrims visit Sultanganj. It is expected that the number will increase this year.Divisional railway manager (DRM), Malda Division of ER, Manish Kumar Gupta, said during the Shravani Mela pilgrims prefer to take the railway route to reach Sultanganj. He said the special train (03480/03479) Jamalpur-Sultanganj-Jamalpur Shravani Mela passenger special will run from July 11 to Aug 9, 2025, to facilitate movement of the pilgrims.The Mela special train (03480) will leave Jamalpur at 9.05am to reach Sultanganj at 10.45am, besides Sultanganj-Jamalpur Shravani Mela passenger special (03479) will leave Sultanganj at 11.15am to reach Jamalpur at 12.40pm on the same day. The DRM added that the special train will stop at all stations between Jamalpur and Sultanganj.Another special train, Jamalpur-Deoghar-Jamalpur Shravani Mela passenger special (03442/03441) will run every Sunday between July 13 and Aug 10. The Jamalpur-Deoghar Shravani Mela passenger special (03442) will leave Jamalpur at 5.10am to reach Deoghar at 10.10am, and the Deoghar-Jamalpur Shravani Mela (03441) passenger special will leave Deoghar at 3.45pm to reach Jamalpur at 10.05pm on the same day, he added.Similarly, Deoghar-Godda-Deoghar Shravani Mela passenger special (03444/03443) will run every Sunday between July 13 and Aug 10. The Deoghar-Godda Shravani Mela passenger special (03444) will leave Deoghar at 10.45am to reach Godda at 12.40pm, and the Godda-Deoghar Shravani Mela passenger special (03443) will leave Godda at 1.15pm to reach Deoghar at 3.05pm on the same day.
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Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
The Rath Yatra: a celebration of siblinghood
It is Rath Yatra time in Puri. During Rath Yatra, three grand chariots with the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra – two brothers, and their sister, are drawn by a massive crowd of devotees. The holy chariots are taken to the Gundicha Temple. The three deities spend a week there at the house of their mausi (maternal aunt) before returning to the Jagannath Temple. There are some interesting stories, however, that marketing folks and brand mandarins need to know and hear about the Rath Yatra as they could become the seeds of a Big Idea for the future. Once upon a time in Dwarka, Lord Krishna's eight queens requested his mother Rohini to narrate the transcendental pastimes of Lord Krishna with the Gopis in Vraja Vrindavan. Rohini agreed, however, considering it unbecoming of Shubhadra (Lord Krishna's sister) to hear such episodes (Leela), she sent her to guard the Palace doorway. Soon, Lord Krishna and Balaram (also known as Balabhadra) arrived at the doorway. Subhadra stood between the two, preventing them from entering. However, from where they stood, Rohini's narration of the transcendental pastimes soon engrossed them all. Just then sage Narada arrived. Seeing the siblings standing together like statues, Narad humbly prayed, 'May the three of you grant darshan in this manner forever.' His prayer was granted. And the three eternally reside now in the Jagannath Mandir in Puri. The Jagannath Temple, therefore, is home not only to Lord Krishna, but also his elder brother Lord Balaram and his younger sister, Shubhadra – a perfect picture of sibling togetherness. There is perhaps no other example in India where godly siblings reside together, and are worshipped together. Now to a second story. Legend has it that long long back the beloved Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra, once disappeared from public view at the Jagannath Temple. It all began with the Snana Purnima, the full moon day of the Hindu month Jyeshtha, when the deities were bathed with 108 pots of holy, aromatic water in a spectacular public ceremony. This ritual cleansing, while spiritually significant, is believed to have induced a divine fever. As a result, the deities 'fell ill' and were moved into a private chamber, the Anasara Gruha where they remained for 15 days, away from the public gaze. During this time, temple priests and the Raja Vaidya (royal physician) administered a time-honoured treatment plan rooted in Ayurveda. Central to this regimen – a bitter medicinal decoction known as Dasa Mula Kadha. Prepared with a blend of ten sacred roots (dasa mula), tulsi, sandalwood, cardamom, black pepper, rose petals, and water from the Ganges, this herbal brew is said to have boosted the immunity of the deities, reduced the fever, and promoted recovery. Post convalescence and return to good health, sister Shubhadra wanted to go visit Dwarka, her parent's home and her indulgent brothers just could not say 'no' and took her there on this day. The Rath Yatra is believed to be a commemoration of that visit. True or false, one doesn't know. The Rath Yatra chariots are painted with bright colours and the tops are covered with red, black, yellow, or green canopies. Lord Jagannath uses red and yellow, Lord Balaram uses red and green, while Goddess Subhadra uses red and black. All the chariots have separate features to distinguish from each other. Lord Jagannath's chariot is called as Chakradhwaja or Nandhighosa, which simply describes tumultuous but blissful sound. 45 feet tall, 16 wheels, 65 tons in weight, with Garuda on its crest along with four white wooden horses – that is Lord Jagannath's Rath. Lord Balaram's cart is called Taladhwaja , which means the sound of significantly powerful rhythm. It has 14 wheels and is drawn by four black wooden horses. It carries Hanuman on its crest. Goddess Subhadra's cart is called Padmadhwaja or Darpadalan, which means destroyer of pride. It has a lotus on its crest, uses 12 wheels, and is drawn by four red wooden horses. The chariots travel together to Gundicha. In these above stories, is there something that marketers and brand managers could have possibly missed? Well, the Jaganath Temple is home to three siblings who live together. And the Rath Yatra is a commemoration of their journey together. It is, put together in one narrative, a story of siblings' togetherness, siblings' love and siblings' strength and support to each other. Is there merit in looking at the onset of the annual Rath Yatra as a Siblings Week, to be celebrated across India? With the traditional joint-family by-and-large disintegrating and falling apart, and most siblings now living their respective lives in smaller nuclear families far and near, can the unveiling and aggressive promotion of a Siblings Week create a new marketing aperture? A week in which to visit each other, travel together and relive siblings' love? It would be a boon for business – travel, hospitality, food & beverage, new apparels and accoutrements, gifting and more. Think about it. By the way, there is actually a Siblings Day celebrated in other parts of the world. Siblings Day is a holiday recognized in parts of the United States and Canada on April 10, and as Brothers and Sisters Day on May 31 in Europe. It honours the relationship of brothers and sisters of all ages. Unlike Mother's Day and Father's Day, it is not yet federally recognized in the United States, though the Siblings Day Foundation is working to change this. Since 1998, the governors of 49 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize Siblings Day in their state. Sure, there is Raksha Bandhan in India which celebrates the brother-sister rishta but it doesn't factor in the love of two brothers, or more. Siblings Week could really work in India as a cementing week of family love. Except, yes except the proverbial twist in the tale. Which is the tale of Hera Panchami. The fifth day from Rath Yatra, i.e., the fifth day in the fortnight of Ashadha is known as the Hera Panchami. During Ratha Yatra, Lord Jagannath comes out on a divine outing with His brother Balabhadra and sister Shubhadra along, with His divine weapon Sudarshana , leaving behind His wife Mahalaxmi. The Goddess expresses her anger to the deity. She proceeds to the Gundicha Temple, the Adapa Mandapa in a palanquin in the form of a Subarna Mahalaxmi and threatens Him to come back to the temple at the earliest. To please her, the deity concedes to her by offering her agyan mala (a garland of consent). Seeing the Goddess furious, the sevaks close the main door of the Gundicha. Mahalaxmi returns to the main temple through the Nakachana gate. In a unique ritual, the Goddess orders one of her attendants to damage a part of the Nandighosa chariot! This is followed by her hiding behind a tamarind tree outside the Gundicha Temple. After some time, she escapes to her home temple in secrecy, through a separate pathway known as Hera Gohri Lane! Well this is the story of the spouse spurned in favour of the siblings. A Siblings Week will have to factor in this necessary complication!! Siblings Week is a Big Idea. In recent years, Karan Johar movies have made Karva Chauth into a much bigger even than it ever was. And Akshay Tritya is today a gold bonanza, courtesy efforts of the World Gold Council. Given the right inputs, and the desired impetus, the Rath Yatra could well trigger a big marketing aperture. (Dr. Sandeep Goyal is Chairman of Rediffusion. Views are personal.)
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Stood near site of stampede, unaware of tragedy that had unfolded
Puri: Joining thousands from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack who made it a yearly routine to visit Puri during Rath Yatra to behold the sibling deities on the chariots, me and my friends started from Bhubaneswar at 3am on Sunday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We picked the early hours to avoid the midnight rush and have a peaceful darshan of the deities. Strangely, National Highway 316, connecting Bhubaneswar to Puri, and usually buzzing with devotees during Rath Yatra, had fewer vehicles. It felt unusual, but I guessed that devotees from the twin cities might have started on Saturday night and returned in the early hours of Sunday. The weather was pleasant as we took the left overbridge towards Konark from Malatipatapur and entered Puri through Balighat Chowk. By 4:45am, we had reached Puri Bus Stand, close to Gundicha Temple. People were either going towards the chariots or walking back after having a darshan. Many were carrying children in their arms, some of whom had dozed off. There was no sign of panic or distress. Everything seemed calm and normal. Parking the vehicle at Puri Bus Stand, I caught the first glimpse of the towering chariots. With a heart full of emotion, I walked closer. There was not much of a crowd. Along the way, I noticed a few devotees sitting quietly on the ground, while others were still asleep on plastic sheets on the cement floor. What stood out was scattered footwear — chappals and sandals of all shapes and sizes — abandoned in front of the chariots. It struck me as odd, but not alarming. I attempted to jump over a bamboo barricade to take a shortcut to the front side of the chariots. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A visibly agitated police officer shouted at us, "Can't you walk around? Why are you jumping barricades?" I took this as a sign of irritation and thought he must be tired. I spent around 20 minutes in front of the chariots, soaking in the divine darshan of the deities. Standing hardly 50 metres away from the Lord of the Universe, I had no idea that just 15-20 minutes before I arrived, a stampede had occurred nearby, between 4:20 and 4:30am, killing three people and injuring several others. As I made my way back, the scattered chappals again caught my attention. I casually asked my friend why so many were lying around. "Maybe people had just left them behind," she said. Just then, an ambulance passed us with its siren blaring. We paused, sensing a medical emergency, but still didn't grasp the severity of what had happened. Only after I came out from Puri did I get a notification on my phone that a tragic stampede had happened minutes before our arrival. It sent a chill down the spine. I was lucky and blessed. I cannot thank the Lord enough for His blessings.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
'Emotional moment…', devotees from across the world participate, watch! - The Economic Times Video
On the third day of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, devotees from across the world gathered to witness and participate in the Yatra in Puri, Odisha. Witnessing the Yatra, a foreign devotee expressed his happiness, saying it was an emotional moment for foreign devotees. The grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced on Friday in Odisha's Puri, with thousands of devotees pulling the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The event was marked by chanting, drumbeats, and an overwhelming sense of spiritual Yatra will conclude on July 1, with Lord Jagannath returning to the Jagannath temple.
