Latest news with #Jagannath
Hans India
11 minutes 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.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Odisha: Devotees from Kyrgyzstan attend Lord Jagannath's rath yatra in Puri
A group of international devotees from Kyrgyzstan joined thousands of pilgrims in Odisha's Puri to take part in the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which began yesterday with grand celebrations. Show more Show less
News18
an hour ago
- General
- News18
Rath Yatra 2025: Aarti Of Lord Jagannath Performed As Chariot Pulling Resumes On Day 2
Last Updated: Lakhs of devotees are in Odisha's Puri for Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra, which commenced on Friday, June 27. Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2025: The chariot pulling of the Trinity deities— Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra— resumed on second day of the festival on Saturday. Lakhs of devotees are in Odisha's Puri for Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra, which commenced on Friday, June 27. Thousands of people pulled the ropes attached with chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on a road from near the 12th-century shrine towards Shree Gundicha temple, around 2.6 km away. During the festival, the devotees draw the grand chariots of the three deities to the Gundicha Temple, where the deities reside for a week and then return to the Jagannath Temple. #WATCH | Odisha: Lakhs of devotees take part in pulling the chariots at Shri Jagannath #RathYatra in Puri. — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025 On Saturday, the priests and devotees performed the aarti of the three deities, who were seated on their grand chariots. #WATCH | Puri, Odisha: Aarti of Lord Shri Jagannath, seated on the chariot, was performed this morning. #RathYatra (Video Source: Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri/ 'X') — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025 On Friday, Lord Jagannath's chariot, Nandighosh, was halted shortly around 7:45 pm after the rolling began. It was only symbolically pulled as part of the ritual and remained parked near the main temple. While Lord Balabhadra's chariot came to a halt at Balagandi Chhak, Devi Subhadra's Darpadalan was stopped at Marichkote. Amid the chants of ' Jai Jagannath" and ' Hari Bol", beating of cymbals and blowing of trumpets and conch shells, the 'Taladwaja' chariot of Lord Balabhadra first started rolling at 4:08 PM. It was followed by Devi Subhadra's 'Darpadalan' chariot and finally Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosh'. The chariot pulling started after Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, performed 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping of chariots) on all three chariots. Wooden horses of different colours were fitted on three chariots before they were pulled by the devotees. Over 580 Injured Due To Heavy Crowd More than 500 devotees were injured during the annual Rath Yatra festival in Odisha's Puri, after massive crowds surged forward to pull the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Kalinga TV reported. The incident reportedly occurred during the ceremonial pulling of the Taladhwaja chariot, one of the three grand chariots drawn as part of the centuries-old tradition. Responding to reports of devotees fainting during the Jagannath Rath Yatra, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the incidents were likely due to high humidity. 'One or two devotees collapsed due to the weather conditions, but rescue teams responded quickly and took them to the hospital," he said. Security Intensified As spiritual fervour soars, the entire town of Puri has been placed under a multi-layered security cover to ensure a safe and smooth conduct of the massive festival, which draws lakhs of devotees from around the globe. To manage the massive footfall and maintain law and order during the Rath Yatra, nearly 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the town. The Odisha Police said advanced arrangements, including surveillance through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras and drone monitoring, have been made to handle the crowd of nearly 15 lakh devotees. (With inputs from agencies)
NDTV
2 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Rath Yatra 2025: The Story Of Lord Jagannath's Muslim Devotee Salabega Inspires Generations
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2025, also known as the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is one of the most significant Hindu festivals celebrated annually in Odisha. Observed on Dwitiya Tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the lunar month, the event draws lakhs of devotees to the streets of Puri. Among the many fascinating stories and traditions linked to this grand festival is that of Salabega, a Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath. According to the Odisha government's official records, Salabega was one of the most revered devotional poets of the region. Despite being born into a Muslim family, he dedicated his entire life to worshipping Lord Jagannath. The Story of Salabega and His Devotion to Lord Jagannath Salabega, son of a Mughal subedar and a Hindu Brahmin woman, became a devout follower of Lord Jagannath after surviving a near-fatal injury through divine grace. Deeply moved by a dream where Mahaprabhu healed him, he dedicated his life to the Lord, composing timeless bhajans like Ahe Nila Saila. A beloved legend says the Rath Yatra chariot once halted miraculously until Salabega arrived. That spot, now marked by a shrine, continues to witness the Lord's chariot pausing each year symbolising the unbreakable bond between Salabega and Jagannath. His legacy lives on in Odisha's devotional culture. Salabega's heartfelt bhajans and devotional songs continue to be sung by Odia devotees even today. His unique devotion, crossing religious boundaries, stands as a symbol of spiritual inclusiveness and faith. His legacy remains alive during every Rath Yatra, reminding devotees of the universal appeal of Lord Jagannath. The Jagannath Yatra follows a series of sacred rituals rooted in ancient tradition. It begins with Rath Snana, a ceremonial bath of the deities with 108 pots of holy water. This is followed by Rath Pratistha, where the newly constructed chariots are sanctified with sacred chants. The grand spectacle of devotees pulling the deities' majestic chariots towards the symbolic Gundicha Temple marks the heart of the festival. The return journey, known as Bahuda Yatra, and the final ritual, Niladri Vijaya, mark the conclusion of the sacred event, leaving behind the promise of divine return next year.
Hans India
4 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.
