Vizag city gears up to celebrate Rath Yatra
Visakhapatnam: Symbolising the confluence of Indian culture, Vizag city is preparing to celebrate the chariot festival of Lord Jagannath in the style of Puri Rath Yatra on June 27 (Friday) at several locations throughout the city.
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The authorities of the 185-year-old Lord Sri Jagannath Swamy Temple at the old-Town area in Vizag city, along with Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj and a few other organisations—UCA at Ukkunagaram, the township of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Visakhapatnam, will mark Rath Yatra in a grand fashion.
The Lord Jagannath Swamy Temple in Vizag, which has stood for 185 years, will celebrate observe the festival of carrying the deities in a unique chariot.
Apart from dignitaries, and prominent citizens, more than 12,000 devotees are expected to participate in the Rath Yatra celebration which would begin at Town Kotharoad and conclude at Turner's Choultry. Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, a leading socio-cultural organisation of Odias in Vizag city, will start the celebrations on June 27 with the Rath Yatra.
Lord Jagannath and his deity siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra will be taken in a colourful procession to Sri Gundicha temple at Lawsons Bay Colony, with further celebrations planned for later.
The deities will have sojourn at Sri Gundicha temple for nine days and then, return to the main temple in a procession called Bahuda Yatra on July 4.
On the day of Rath Yatra, thousands of devotees are expected to gather at the Jagannath Swami temples throughout the city. Amid the sounds of conchs, and religious chants, the deities will be carried in their chariots to their aunt's house.
Vizag city police will give special attention during the car festival to prevent any possibilty of stampede situation. The cops will impose certain traffic restrictions on June 27.
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