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New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Massive crowd takes part in vibrant celebrations
BHUBANESWAR: The temple city came alive on Friday with vibrant celebrations and spiritual fervour as thousands of devotees thronged the Jagannath temples to participate in the annual Rath Yatra. With the weather remaining pleasant throughout the day, the ISKCON temple at Nayapalli witnessed a massive turnout. The three elaborately decorated chariots were pulled with great enthusiasm from the temple premises to the Gundicha Temple at Unit-8. 'After the ceremonial Pahandi Bije ritual, the traditional Chhera Pahanra was performed. The pulling of chariots began around 3 pm and concluded by 6:15 pm. An estimated two to three lakh devotees joined the celebration,' said ISKCON temple PRO Radhakanta Das. He added that the temple distributed prasad to over 30,000 devotees for free. Meanwhile, Shrivani Kshetra at KISS also hosted the festival with grandeur. 'All rituals were performed smoothly. KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta performed the Chhera Pahanra ritual around 3 pm,' said officials from KISS. More than 50,000 people took part in the celebrations, aided by the favourable weather. In addition to ISKCON and KISS, the Rath Yatra was celebrated at 56 other locations across the city, including Sailashri Vihar, Dumduma, Baramunda, Patia, Old Town, Rasulgarh, and Vani Vihar. Children were also seen pulling miniature chariots of the Holy Trinity in the Mausima temple area. 'We wait for this day all year. Being part of this sacred procession brings immense inner peace and a deep sense of spirituality,' said Prasad Sahu, a resident of Rasulgarh. To ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, the Commissionerate Police deployed 17 platoons of force across key locations. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) set up first aid camps, mobilised sanitation teams, and launched an awareness drive on health and hygiene.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Jagannath Ratha Yatra celebrated with devotion at NSU
Tirupati: Under the aegis of the Odisha Chair at the National Sanskrit University, Sri Jagannath Culture and Chaitanya Philosophy Research Centre organised a grand Jagannath Rath Yatra on Friday. The event witnessed vibrant participation from students, faculty and devotees. Chief guest Rupeswar Chaitanya Prabhu, Vice-President of ISKCON temple, Tirupati, graced the occasion and spoke on the spiritual significance of the Rath Yatra. He prayed for Lord Jagannath's blessings upon the university and its well-wishers. University Registrar Kadiyam Venkata Narayana Rao ceremoniously placed the deities on the chariot, expressing the university's commitment to promoting Indian culture and spiritual knowledge through Sanskrit education. He invoked Lord Jagannath's grace for the university, Andhra Pradesh, and the entire nation. Academic Dean Prof Rajanikant Shukla encouraged students and the public to participate with devotion and receive divine blessings. Dean of Students' Welfare Prof S Dakshinamurthy Sarma further highlighted the grandeur of the Rath Yatra. Odisha Chair Director Dr Gyanaranjan Panda explained that the Jagannath Research Centre helps students explore the unique traditions of Lord Jagannath and Chaitanya philosophy. He remarked that just like in Puri, the Rath Yatra is celebrated with equal fervour here. The procession, starting from the university's Jagannath temple, passed through key streets of Tirupati before returning, spreading spiritual joy. The event was attended by University Finance Officer Prof Radha Govinda Tripathi, Odisha Chair Advisor Prof G Sankara Barayana, Chief Warden Prof P Venkata Rao, G Seetha Mahalakshmi and others.
Hans India
5 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra idols given a tour along city streets
Visakhapatnam: As wheels of chariots rolled along Visakhapatnam streets, people came together to witness the grand procession of Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra on July 27 (Friday). Chanting 'Haribol', 'Jai Jagannath' chariots were pulled all along the routes mapped for the purpose. Decked up in colourful chariots, the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were given a tour along the city routes. Celebrating the festival of chariots, ISKCON in Visakhapatnam organised a host of events. Like each year, this year too, three separate chariots for Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra were taken out in a single procession along the streets. Built with mechanised collapsible canopies of 37-ft height, the rathams were decked up in an impressive manner marking the occasion. The procession commenced from Central Park at Beach Road at 4 pm and passed via Daba Gardens, Jagadamba Junction, and Ram Nagar before concluding at Gurajada Kalakshetram at Siripuram. The colorful Ratha canopies were sourced from Pipili, Odisha to give a similar festival flavour celebrated in Puri. As part of the festival, artistes from different troupes in Andhra Pradesh, Bengal and Odisha presented cultural programmes. The procession concluded at Gurajada Kalakshetram wherein devotees assembled to witness cultural show. As many as 1,008 varieties of special dishes were offered to the deities on the stage followed by 'maha sandhya arati' with 108 'pradeepam programme'. The 18th annual Jagannath Rath Yatra was conducted with great spiritual grandeur under the leadership of Sambadas Prabhu, president of ISKCON, Visakhapatnam. The grand procession began as Mataji Nitaisevini inaugurated the yatra in a ceremonious manner. Visakhapatnam west constituency MLA PGVR Naidu (Ganababu) inaugurated the yatra. Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj After completing the cleansing rituals, Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, a premier socio-cultural organisation for Odias in the city, celebrated Rath Yatra with fervour. As part of it, deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were taken out in a colourfully decorated chariot from the temple at Daspalla Hills to Gundicha temple at Lawson's Bay Colony. Following 'Pahandi Bije' ritual, the deities were taken to the chariot from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to their respective chariots. Then after sweeping the platform as part of the 'Chhera Pahanra' by the president of the samaj J K Nayak, the yatra commenced. Passing through VUDA Children Park, AU gate, The Park Hotel, the wheels of the chariot came to halt at the Gundicha temple at Lawson's Bay Colony where the deities will be in sojourn till July 5. Artistes presented cultural programmes all along the procession. Sankeertan was presented by the troupe deputed by the Odisha culture department. General secretary of the Samaj Binal Kumar Mahanta mentioned that a large number of people took part in the procession. Meanwhile, The Hare Krishna Movement took out a grand procession of the deities in a well-decorated floral chariot. From IIAM College, the procession passed via Isukathota Junction, Venkojipalem Junction, Appu Ghar before heading back to the IIAM College. Adding cultural flavor to the occasion, students of Kuchipudi Kala Kshetra performed dance on the occasion. People engaged in various devotional activities such as kirtans, bhajans and listened to spiritual discourses presented by the speakers.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Lord, along with siblings, begins annual sojourn amid Jai Jagannath chants in Vizag
There was an air of festivity along the main thoroughfares of the city on Friday as tall 'Rathas' (chariots) carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Bhalabhadra and Godess Subhadra pulled by devotees moved at a slow pace, with cultural troupes performing before the grand processions, and devotees trying to catch a glimpse of the deities. The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra organised by ISKCON, Hare Krishna Movement, Utkal Samaj and Sri Jagannadha Swamy temple drew devotees in large numbers. Devotees gathered on either side of the road and prayed to the deities. Many devotees took selfies and pictures before the chariots. Some of the artistes and cultural troupes, who came to perform before the chariots, took pictures of their groups. The overcast sky and cool weather provided a welcome relief to those pulling the chariot and the artistes participating in the processions. Traditional dances, bhajans, congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra and chants of 'Jai Jagannath' marked the commencement of the 18th Annual Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra from the Central Park, near the GVMC. The procession began after Mataji Nitasevini broke a coconut and ceremoniously swept the ground in front of the chariot, symbolising service. Visakhapatnam West MLA PGVR Naidu (Ganababu) inaugurated the Rath Yatra. The procession passed through Dabagardens, Jagadamba junction, Ram Nagar Main Road, before culminating at Gurajada Kalakshetram, where special Vedic rituals were performed by priests. The Rath Yatra, organised by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, began from the Sri Jagannath temple at Daspalla Hills, after sweeping of the chariot by J.K. Nayak, president of the Samaj. The procession passed through VMRDA Children Arena, AU Out Gate and VUDA Park to reach the Gundicha temple, at Lawson's Bay Colony, where the deities would be in sojourn till July 5. Marwadi Yuva Manch provided drinking water. General secretary of the Samaj, Bimal Kumar Mahanta was present. Scores of devotees participated in the Jagannadha Swamy Radha Yatra from Town Kotha Road to the Turner's Choultry. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, and Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas inaugurated the yatra after the rituals, by pulling the rope. The chariots of Embar Mannar and Sri Kodanda Ramaswamy temples followed the chariot of Sri Jagannadha Swamy. Endowments Commissioner N. Sujata, Assistant Commissioner Annapurna, temple EO T. Rajagopal Reddy were among those who participated in the Rath Yatra. As one side of the road was occupied by the chariots and devotees, vehicles were allowed to ply on the other side causing traffic snarls at a few junctions.
Hans India
8 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Hyderabad: Thousands join as Jagannath Rath Yatra rolls through city
Hyderabad: Thousands of devotees of Lord Jagannath enthusiastically participated in the Jagannath Rath Yatra organised by the ISKCON temple at Abids. Chanting slogans of 'Jai Jagannath', they joined the divine journey of the deities on their chariots on Friday. The city's famous ISKCON Temples took out grand processions from their respective temples, with the lanes beautifully decorated with traditional rangoli. The magnificent chariot carrying Lord Jagannath, along with Balarama and Subhadra, was paraded from several locations, including the Secunderabad ISKCON Temple to Clock Tower and from NTR Grounds to Exhibition Ground, amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns by priests. Similar scenarios and rituals were observed at the 130-year-old Sri Jagannath temple in Ramgopalpet. Earlier, at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Secunderabad, a procession saw scores of devotees participate in the celebrations and offer prayers to the deities.
