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Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
First Rath Yatra in Digha draws lakhs to seaside town
Digha: A sea of devotees swamped the road as the wheels of chariots rolled for the maiden Rath Yatra in Digha on Friday. In keeping with the tradition followed for the chariot festival in Puri, chief minister Mamata Banerjee took part in rituals, washed the road where the three chariots were parked, performed aarti with earthen lamps, and swept the path with a gold broom to set off the Rath Yatra from Jagannath Dham. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The rain could not dampen the festive fervour of devotees who started thronging the temple area with umbrellas since 6 am. The priests began the rituals around 9 am and the crowd swelled after 9.30 am, when the chariots decorated with flowers were parked outside the temple. The security in the precincts of the newly constructed Jagannath temple had been tightened since morning, and cops took a slew of measures to ensure smooth pedestrian traffic on barricaded pavements. A high alert was issued throughout Digha. Traffic on 116B National Highway leading from Old Digha to the Jagannath temple was shut. Over 20 police camps were set up, with more than 3,000 personnel deployed to implement the security arrangements monitored by senior officers of Kolkata Police, including DG Rajeev Kumar. Drop gates were also installed on the road leading to the temple. Around 10 am, the three deities boarded the chariots for the 'Pahandi Vijay' ritual. Devotional music played on stereo, and a dance performance by around 40 Iskcon devotees, mostly from abroad, entertained the audience. Around 2 pm, the CM reached the venue along with her cabinet colleagues and state ministers Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Sujit Bose, and Indranil Sen. There was a performance by children along with music from Madhab's rock band, after which, flanked by members of Iskcon, the CM set the wheels of the chariots rolling by pulling their ropes individually amid chants of "Jai Jagannath" by thousands of pilgrims, including foreigners. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Radharamn Das, a trustee of Digha Jagannath Dham and vice-president of Iskcon Kolkata, said, "The chariot festival in Digha has been organised following all the rituals of the Puri temple. However, as this is the first time the festival is being held here, the CM was adamant about not compromising on security. Therefore, the general public was not allowed to pull the chariot ropes. Instead, two ropes from the chariot were passed through a barricade, allowing everyone to touch them. " "The CM decided every aspect of this year's festival. Accordingly, Balabhadra's chariot was placed first, followed by Subhadra's. Jagannath's chariot brought up the rear," he said. All devotees and visitors at the temple received prasad on Friday. The district administration are now preparing for Ulto Rath on July 5. "Although the chief minister may not be present here during the return journey of the chariots, there will be no compromise on security," an official said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
CM Mamata Banerjee reviews Rath Yatra readiness in Digha; urges caution amid huge crowd influx
DIGHA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday oversaw preparedness for Friday's Rath Yatra in Digha and extensively reviewed crowd-management measures, asking police to stay alert to avert any stampede-like situation. More than 2.5 lakh people are expected to participate in the seaside town's first chariot festival after the inauguration of the Jagannath temple. Banerjee, who reached Digha on Wednesday to keep tabs on arrangements, said the Yatra would begin at 2.30pm and proceed along a barricaded route. A 750-metre stretch from Jagannath Dham to Masir Bari at the old Jagannath temple has been barricaded. Around 3,000 policemen will be deployed along the route. 'People will not be allowed on the road to pull the chariots. All devotees will stay behind barricades to avoid any risk of stampede,' the CM said, adding that the chariots' ropes would be extended towards the barricades for people to touch them. The announcement came after Banerjee held an administrative meeting that was attended by ministers Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Sujit Bose and senior district and police officials. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata 'People can visit the temple. There is no issue if they arrive early, but they must leave after the visit. It is difficult to accommodate a large number of people at once on the temple premises. This is the first time we are organising this festival. We request that both Yatra days (Friday and July 5) be peaceful. All preparations have been made. The Yatra will conclude by 4 pm,' the CM said. Radharaman Das, a trustee of Digha Jagannath Dham and vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata, said, 'The CM is personally monitored the situation to ensure there are no problems due to the crowd surge.' On Thursday, Digha was bursting at the seams as thousands of people poured in and every hotel room in and around the seaside town was booked. Bipradash Chakraborty, joint secretary of Digha Sankarpur Hotelier's Association said hotel occupancy was over 70% on Thursday and was expected to be over 90% on Friday when more devotees reach the town to witness the festival.' Late on Thursday, at least 200 buses packed with devotees left Kolkata for Digha. 'I was visiting my home in Gujarat for a week and on learning about the chariot festival here, I decided to visit the town. I have been to Puri earlier, but being part of Digha's first Ratha Yatra would be a memorable experience,' said Anwar Shah, who lives in California. Swati Dey from Kasba, who reached Digha on Thursday said, 'We could not come here when the temple was opened in April. So, we decided to visit the temple during Ratha Yatra. We booked the hotel last month.'
India Today
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
BJP slams Bengal government over Muslim shops making Jagannath temple prasad
West Bengal's Digha Jagannath Dham finds itself in controversy after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised objections to the preparation and distribution of the prasad by Muslim-owned IT Cell head Amit Malviya on Tuesday took to social media, criticising the Trinamool Congress-led government. Malviya posted a document online listing several names he identified as Muslim sweet shop shops, he alleged, have been involved in preparing Gaja and Pera, sweets that are being distributed as prasad associated with Lord Jagannath. Sheet shared by BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya highlighted the list of shop owners. advertisement 'Mamata Banerjee is trampling on Hindu sentiments with impunity in West Bengal! In the Suti 1 Block of Murshidabad district, sweet shops and ration dealers - majority of them Muslim - have reportedly been entrusted with the preparation and distribution of Gaja and Pera, which are being labelled as Prabhu Jagannath Dev's sacred prasad,' he wrote on added, 'This is not just administrative carelessness. This is a deliberate provocation. In Puri, even today, non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the Jagannath Temple - such is the sanctity attached to the Lord and His traditions. And yet, in Mamata Banerjee's Bengal, prasad meant for devotees of Lord Jagannath is being sourced from shops run by those who do not even follow the faith!'Calling the incident 'targeted sacrilege,' the BJP leader claimed that Hindus and Jagannath devotees are 'deeply hurt,' terming it a violation of tradition and religious similar concerns, Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, criticised the distribution of Digha Jagannath Dham prasad through Muslim-run establishments. 'It is hurting our sentiments,' he response, senior Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim rejected the allegations, calling them 'mean thinking".Defending the state government's position, Hakim said, 'Bhagawan is for everyone and his prasad is also for everyone. This whole world is created by God and if a prasad is for him, then it is for everyone. One who is willing will accept it, and one like Suvendu Adhikari, who is an atheist, will not accept it.'West Bengal's Jagannath Temple in Digha was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30 this year. The temple is a replica of the main Jagannath Temple in Puri, new temple has since led to several political controversies between BJP and Trinamool.
