Mamata inaugurates first Rath Yatra, sweeps path, pulls chariots: ‘Soul-stirring experience'
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday inaugurated the first Rath Yatra from the newly constructed and inaugurated Jagannath Dham temple in Digha, in the Purba Medinipur district and participated in all the ceremonial rituals.
Several cabinet ministers also participated in the festivities.
Around 2 pm, the Chief Minister began the festivities by ceremonially sweeping the road in front of the three chariots with a golden broom. She performed the aarti and then pulled the ropes of the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings — Balabhadra and Subhadra.
Appealing to the devotees through a public address system, CM Banerjee stated that they could touch the ropes of all three chariots from inside the barricades along the 750-metre procession route, from the main temple to the sibling deities' aunt's place.
The pilgrims were asked to stand behind barricades along the procession route and were not allowed to spill onto the streets to pull the ropes of the chariots.
On Thursday, the chief minister had said that no one would be allowed to spill onto the street to pull the ropes of the chariots of the sibling deities.
Following this, a group of children of ISKCON devotees from abroad performed to the music by Madhab's rock band. Earlier in the day, nearly 40 ISKCON devotees, mostly international, danced for hours in front of the chariots to the devotional chants of 'Hare Ram, Hare Krishna.'
Banerjee said people across different communities, religion, caste and creed have participated in the festival.
'I extend my sincere love and greetings to everyone on the occasion of the holy Rath Yatra. May everyone's life be blessed and happy by the grace of the eternal, eternal Lord Sri Sri Jagannath. Thousands of pilgrims from home and abroad have taken part in the holy Rath Yatra today. I too pulled the rope of the chariot from among the people at Jagannath Dham in Digha. On this auspicious occasion of the auspicious time, people of all religions, castes and communities of Bengal have taken part in the holy pilgrimage. Devbhoomi Digha has become the heart of spirituality today. May the message of unity, equality and peace resonate in every corner of Bengal. May glorious Bengal remain bound in the bond of harmony. I once again congratulate everyone on a happy Rath Yatra,' Chief Minister Banerjee wrote on her social media page.
In another post on X, the chief minister described the atmosphere in Digha as divine and spiritually unifying.
Banerjee praised the district administration for their planning and thanked the devotees for their presence, concluding with a prayer for peace, prosperity, and protection for the people.
'It was a profoundly emotional, soul-stirring, and awe-inspiring experience to be part of the Rath Yatra celebrations at the newly consecrated Jagannath Dham in Digha. The sound of conch shells, the fragrance of incense wafting through the air, and the resonant chants of 'Joy Jagannath' created an atmosphere of divine grace and spiritual unity. As a humble servant of the Lord of the Universe, I swept the streets in a gesture of reverence. With deep devotion in my heart, I offered aarati, seeking blessings for peace and harmony. It was deeply moving to witness Lord Jagannath's chariot roll forward for the very first time in Digha. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the District Administration for the meticulous planning, ensuring the safety and seamless participation of thousands of devotees. I am deeply grateful to our Maa, Mati, Manush whose presence enriched the occasion with love, warmth, and spiritual fervour. On this sacred day, I pray to Prabhu Jagannath to bless our land and its people, to fill every life with peace, prosperity, and strength, and to protect us from those who seek to divide, deprive, and oppress. Joy Jagannath! Joy Bangla,' Banerjee wrote on X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Brawl Between Priest, Police Official Over Loudspeaker During Kanpur Rath Yatra, Cop Suspended
The dispute erupted between police and the priest over the installation of additional sound systems for the procession. A dispute broke out between a temple priest and a police officer after the latter allegedly misbehaved with the priest over the installation of loudspeakers during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Uttar Pradesh' Kanpur on Friday. The priest, Mahant Jitendra Das of Panki Hanuman Temple, had allegedly threatened to self-immolate if police didn't allow the Rath Yatra to proceed without removing additional sound systems. This prompted the senior officials to place station officer of the Badshahi Naka police station under suspension, news agency PTI reported. According to Mahant Jitendra Das and Krishna Das of Jagannath temple, before the Rath Yatra could begin, police officials arrived and instructed that only two speakers should be used in the band. Organisers opposed this and during the conversation, the police allegedly misbehaved with them. Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Satyajit Gupta said that Station Officer (Badshahi Naka) Rajiv Kumar has been put under suspension for allegedly misbehaving with Das and also abusing him. 'We have had a conversation with Yatra coordinators. The SHO of Badshahi Naka has allegedly attempted misconduct and hurled abuses. It was said that until he is suspended, 'Shobha Yatra' will not be started… Keeping all this in consideration, I will be taking action for suspension…," he said. He further appealed the organisers and devotees to continue with the Rath Yatra as it was already delayed. 'We have made an appeal to the mahant, devotees and others to take out the Jagannath Rath Yatra without removing the additional sound systems as it is already delayed and the removal of the additional sound systems will lead to a further delay. A request has also been made to maintain peace and not pay attention to rumours," the DCP added. As a precautionary measure, reserved police forces and personnel from neighbouring police stations were deployed along the procession route. What's The Row? The dispute erupted between police and the priest over the installation of additional sound systems for the procession. According to local residents, devotees got anguished over the demand, following which they sat on a dharna at Nayaganj. Das told reporters that the officer, along with police personnel from Nayaganj, arrived at the spot and asked them to carry only two speakers with the procession, when they were preparing to take out the Jagannath Rath Yatra at 1 pm. 'When we opposed this, saying no senior official had issued any such instruction, the police personnel misbehaved with us," he said. Irked by the alleged misbehaviour of the police personnel, supporters of the priest started raising slogans against police. Officials tried to pacify the priest and his supporters, but they were adamant on their demand that the SO should be placed under suspension. The priest had gave an ultimatum that if no action was taken against the erring police personnel by 8 pm, he would set himself on fire, which prompted top officials to swing into action. The Jagannath Rath Yatra was taken out around 8 pm, after the SO was suspended. (With inputs from agencies) First Published: June 28, 2025, 09:57 IST
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bengal is not safe for women: BJP's Pradeep Bhandari slams TMC on Kolkata rape case
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress over the Kolkata alleged gangrape case and said that West Bengal is not safe for women under the Mamata Banerjee government. "Mamata Banerjee's government supports the rape of women in Bengal. The accused in the Kasba gangrape is an active member of Mamata Banerjee's party, Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee runs and protects an army of goons in Bengal for her appeasement politics and political dominance. People of Trinamool Congress commit rape against women, erase evidence and the TMC government makes a one-week case. A person of Trinamool Congress has been found guilty in the Kasba gang rape. Bengal is not safe for women. Despite Mamata Banerjee being a woman chief minister, her thinking is anti-women," Bhandari told ANI. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo-motu cognisance of the alleged gangrape of a law student at South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area on June 25, with NCW member Archana Majumdar expressing outrage over the incident. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Victoria Principal Is Almost 75, See Her Now Reportingly Undo Speaking to ANI, Majumdar said, "It's shocking. As a mother, as a woman of West Bengal, I am very annoyed. We have taken suo-motu cognisance, we have asked DGP to answer within 72 hours in detail, including arrests, sections, crime scene examinations, medical examination, and everything...I will be meeting the victim today or tomorrow. I talked with the officer in charge of the concerned PS also. He reported that the victim has been sent to Calcutta National Medical College for medical examination. Three of the accused have been arrested already. Whatever action is being taken, my question is - why does it happen? Where is the security of women, of girl students?" BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also echoed similar sentiments, stating, "Whenever a crime occurs in West Bengal, a TMC leader is found to be involved. The most evil and anti-social elements are in TMC. Holding the TMC flag seems to grant immunity from police action." Live Events He further criticised the state's law and order situation, saying, "Such an incident happening with a college student in broad daylight shows the poor law and order in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has taken the entire police administration to the Rath Yatra in Digha, as if there are no other pressing issues in Bengal." On Wednesday evening, a female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J.M. of Alipore, South 24 Parganas, with a prayer to remand them to Police Custody for a proper investigation into the case. The alleged sexual assault took place between 7:30 pm and 10:50 pm on Wednesday within the law college premises. According to the official, one of the accused allegedly committed sexual assault, while the others were involved in the crime. The victim's family filed a police complaint against the accused, and the police have taken swift action in the matter. Two of the accused, Monojit Mishra and Zaib Ahmed, were arrested on Thursday, near Siddhartha Shankar Roy Sishu Udyan, close to Talbagan Crossing in Kolkata. Pramit Mukhopadhyay was arrested later the same night at his residence. The police have seized the mobile phones of all three accused. The official had visited the site and kept it under protection till they had done a forensic examination. They requested custody remand for further investigation.
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Bengal is not safe for women": BJP's Pradeep Bhandari slams TMC on Kolkata rape case
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 28 (ANI): BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress over the Kolkata alleged gangrape case and said that West Bengal is not safe for women under the Mamata Banerjee government. 'Mamata Banerjee's government supports the rape of women in Bengal. The accused in the Kasba gangrape is an active member of Mamata Banerjee's party, Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee runs and protects an army of goons in Bengal for her appeasement politics and political dominance. People of Trinamool Congress commit rape against women, erase evidence and the TMC government makes a one-week case. A person of Trinamool Congress has been found guilty in the Kasba gang rape. Bengal is not safe for women. Despite Mamata Banerjee being a woman chief minister, her thinking is anti-women,' Bhandari told ANI. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo-motu cognisance of the alleged gangrape of a law student at South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area on June 25, with NCW member Archana Majumdar expressing outrage over the incident. Speaking to ANI, Majumdar said, 'It's shocking. As a mother, as a woman of West Bengal, I am very annoyed. We have taken suo-motu cognisance, we have asked DGP to answer within 72 hours in detail, including arrests, sections, crime scene examinations, medical examination, and everything...I will be meeting the victim today or tomorrow. I talked with the officer in charge of the concerned PS also. He reported that the victim has been sent to Calcutta National Medical College for medical examination. Three of the accused have been arrested already. Whatever action is being taken, my question is - why does it happen? Where is the security of women, of girl students?' BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also echoed similar sentiments, stating, 'Whenever a crime occurs in West Bengal, a TMC leader is found to be involved. The most evil and anti-social elements are in TMC. Holding the TMC flag seems to grant immunity from police action.' He further criticised the state's law and order situation, saying, 'Such an incident happening with a college student in broad daylight shows the poor law and order in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has taken the entire police administration to the Rath Yatra in Digha, as if there are no other pressing issues in Bengal.' On Wednesday evening, a female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J.M. of Alipore, South 24 Parganas, with a prayer to remand them to Police Custody for a proper investigation into the case. The alleged sexual assault took place between 7:30 pm and 10:50 pm on Wednesday within the law college premises. According to the official, one of the accused allegedly committed sexual assault, while the others were involved in the crime. The victim's family filed a police complaint against the accused, and the police have taken swift action in the matter. Two of the accused, Monojit Mishra and Zaib Ahmed, were arrested on Thursday, near Siddhartha Shankar Roy Sishu Udyan, close to Talbagan Crossing in Kolkata. Pramit Mukhopadhyay was arrested later the same night at his residence. The police have seized the mobile phones of all three accused. The official had visited the site and kept it under protection till they had done a forensic examination. They requested custody remand for further investigation. (ANI)
