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Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Business
- Hans India
Priceless memories: Gautam Adani feels ‘blessed' to witness divine Puri Rath Yatra
Puri: Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, on Saturday said he feels blessed to have had the privilege of witnessing the divine Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. Gautam Adani, along with his wife Priti Adani and son Karan Adani, participated in the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri. The Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of India's most revered religious festivals. In a post on X social media platform, the billionaire industrialist said that 'seeing the Lord Himself among devotees is an experience of the pinnacle of humility, simplicity, and compassion'. 'This Rath Yatra is a grand embodiment of faith, service, and unity, which delights the mind, intellect, and soul. Being a witness to this wonderful experience on the sacred land of Puri, alongside millions of devotees, will forever remain among the priceless memories of my life,' Gautam Adani noted. The Adani Group Chairman wholeheartedly thanked the state government, Puri administration, and the thousands of service-dedicated workers 'whose dedication and discipline have made this event unfold with such reverence and grandeur'. 'May the grace of Lord Jagannath always remain upon the holy state of Odisha, India, and its people. Jai Jagannath,' Gautam Adani stated. The Adani family joined the sea of devotees gathered for the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra, taking part in the rituals associated with the sacred occasion. They offered their prayers and performed 'Rath Poojan' at the holy yatra. The Adani Group has initiated the 'Prasad Seva' in Puri Dham and is undertaking a comprehensive 'seva' effort to support both pilgrims and frontline officials during the Rath Yatra from June 26 to July 8. The Group's initiative has been designed to offer free meals and refreshments not only to devotees but also to frontline workers and officials engaged in managing the chariot festival. Various distribution counters have been established across the temple town to facilitate the seamless delivery of 'prasad'. This effort mirrors the Adani Group's earlier outreach during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year, where they supported food distribution in collaboration with religious and civic organisations.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
3 Lakh Visit Jagannath Temple In Digha For Rath Yatra Festival: ISKCON
Digha, West Bengal: An estimated three lakh devotees visited the new Jagannath temple in Digha on the day of Rath Yatra and the preceding day, a senior ISKCON monk said. International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Vice-President Radharaman Das also told PTI that 70,000-1 lakh people are likely to visit the temple every day till the 'Ulto Rath' (return car festival) on July 4. ISKCON is entrusted with the job of performing the rituals and puja of the deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladev and Devi Subhadra - in the Digha temple. "Altogether three lakh pilgrims visited the temple premises on the two days of Netrotsav (the day of the deities getting vision)," Das said on Saturday. Asked about the expected turnout of pilgrims in the coming week till 'Ulto Rath', he said, "We are anticipating 70,000-1 lakh devotees on an average every day." People are visiting the temple and their number has been steady every day despite intermittent rains, the monk said. All rituals are being performed before the deities now stationed at another temple, considered their aunt's place, which is around 750 metres from the main shrine, he said. Around 33 lakh people had visited the temple since its inauguration on April 30, Das said. A Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) official said, "The seaside resort has also turned into a religious tourism hub in West Bengal. We expect the turnout to be higher by next year." West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the temple in Digha in April.
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- General
- India Gazette
Odisha: Reliance Foundation serves meals to devotees, police personnel during Jagannath Rath Yatra under 'We Care' initiative
Puri (Odisha) [India], June 28 (ANI): As people participate in the second day of Jagannath Rath yatra today, on June 28, Reliance Foundation has set up stalls under its 'We Care' initiative to serve meals to devotees and police personnel. Meals will be served during the Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri. Today is the second day of the grand Jagannath Rath Yatra. As part of the tradition, the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are being pulled towards the Gundicha Temple, where the deities will rest for nine days before returning to the Jagannath Temple. Devotees from across India and around the world are arriving in Puri to take part in the Yatra and seek blessings. A devotee from West Africa who came to Puri for the first time said, 'This is my very first opportunity to witness the Rath Yatra in Puri. Yesterday, we only got the opportunity to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. But today, hopefully Jagannath will be kind, we will be able to pull his chariot as today is the second day.' She added that she was grateful for the opportunity to experience the celebration. Gaurangi Devika Das, a foreign devotee living in India for the past 20 years, expressed her joy, saying, 'Yesterday was the first day of the Rath Yatra festival. Lakhs of people are coming. By the mercy of Lord Jagannath, I got to take his darshan. Today, I hope I will have the grace to pull Jagannath to Gundicha. This is a very special festival because Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to see all his devotees and give his mercy.' Parna, a devotee from Kolkata, shared her experience: 'I wanted to participate in the Rath Yatra for a long time and witness Lord Jagannath. I did get to see him yesterday, but today was magical. I worshipped him for a good 10 to 15 minutes without any rush, and that makes me really happy.' Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who participated in the Yatra, said, 'I have had the good fortune of witnessing the Rath Yatra of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri. I want to say that may Mahaprabhu Jagannath maintain peace in the world and maintain an atmosphere of peace and happiness in all families.' Swami Shri Sukh Darshan Das from Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Vadtal, also joined the celebrations. He said, 'We are from Gujarat. Today is a big celebration of the Rath Yatra. God has come to give darshan to everyone. So we also had darshan this morning. Rath Yatra is so important that whichever devotee has darshan of the Lord in this Rath Yatra, the Lord will fulfil all their wishes. This is the best moment of my life. Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the whole universe.' Shri Jagannath Temple Administration Chief Administrator Arabinda K Padhee informed on Friday, 'On 28th June, the chariot pulling will begin at 9.30 am. So it is all Mahaprabhu's desire.' The Jagannath Rath Yatra, also called the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is a significant event for Hindus. The Yatra began on June 27 and is scheduled to conclude on July 1, with Lord Jagannath returning to the Jagannath temple. (ANI)
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- General
- India Gazette
Puri: Devotees continue to gather in large numbers to witness Lord Jagannath's chariot
Puri (Odisha) [India], June 28 (ANI): On the second day of the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival, devotees from across the world gathered in Puri on Saturday to witness the ceremonial pulling of the chariots. A devotee from West Africa, who had travelled to Puri for the Rath Yatra, expressed her joy at getting the opportunity to have 'darshan' of Lord Jagannath on Friday. She also hoped for a chance to pull the Lord's chariot. 'This is my very first opportunity to witness the Rath Yatra in Puri. Yesterday, we only got the opportunity to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. But today, hopefully Jagannath will be kind, we will be able to pull his chariot as today is the second day', the devotee told ANI. Another devotee, Gorangi, who has been living in India for the past 20 years, attributed her chance to take darshan to the 'mercy' of Lord Jagannath. She described the Rath Yatra as a particularly special festival because Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to bless His devotees. 'I have been living in India for 20 years. Yesterday was the first day of the Rath Yatra festival. Lakhs of people are coming. By the mercy of Lord Jagannath, I got to take his darshan. Today, I hope I will have the grace to pull Jagannath to Gundicha. This is a very special festival because Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to see all his devotees and give his mercy', she said. The Odisha Fire Services Department DG Sudhanshu Sarangi also spoke about the ongoing event. He mentioned that devotees often try to touch the ropes of the chariots while praying, which makes it difficult to pull them. However, he assured that everything was running smoothly with no security issues. 'Everything is smooth and we hope that with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and His Supreme will, everything will go smoothly size of the crowd is increasing year by year, but today there is a little less (chariots) is very happy. So, you need to drag with full muscle power. People are trying to touch the rope. If you touch it, the chariot will not move. We need to use full strength. Devotees try to touch and pray. We understand their sentiments but we need physical force to take the Lord, we will do it today. The security is smooth. There is no problem,' Sudshanshu Sarangi said. Earlier today, spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also attended the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri, Odisha. On this occasion, he expressed his devotion to Lord Jagannath, calling Him divine and emphasising that the Lord comes out of the temple to give 'darshan' to the devotees. The grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced on Friday in Odisha's Puri, with thousands of devotees pulling the majestic chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The event was marked by chanting, drumbeats, and an overwhelming sense of spiritual fervour. (ANI)
IOL News
4 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
Residents learn about multimodal transport benefits in Clairwood meeting
Clairwood residents expressed their views about town planning at a placard protest previously. On Friday, Clairwood residents were informed about how a multimodal transport network and the Cato Ridge inland dry port could help prevent the suburb from becoming a logistics hub. Image: Mthobisi/Nozulela/IOL This week Durban's Clairwood residents were informed about how a multimodal transport network and the Cato Ridge inland dry port could help prevent the suburb from becoming a logistics hub. Warwick Lord, CEO of Cato Ridge Inland Port, gave a presentation to residents in Clairwood on Friday titled: Catalyst for the increased efficiency and sustainability of trade in Sub-Saharan Africa. Desmond D'Sa, coordinator of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA),called for the meeting. In 2025, the municipality consulted stakeholders on amending the Land Use Scheme in Clairwood to Special Zone 40: Logistics. This aligned with the Local Area Plan (LAP) adopted by the City in 2014. Lord explained that multimodal transport involves using more than one mode of transport to move goods and offers significant benefits, including lower transportation costs, shorter delivery times, and improved reliability. He stated that this will lead to reduced costs, faster deliveries, and more dependable service. 'In Africa, the integration of road, rail, and maritime transport is vital for optimizing supply chains and improving regional connectivity,' he said. Lord added that South Africa acts as a major gateway for trade in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its extensive coastline and advanced port infrastructure. However, he noted that logistical inefficiencies, regulatory challenges, and infrastructural deficits hinder its potential as a regional logistics hub. He emphasized that inland ports are instrumental in developing integrated transport solutions that strengthen logistics corridors, boosting trade competitiveness. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The country, he said, has well-developed port infrastructure, with major ports handling large cargo volumes. Lord proposed several solutions to strengthen the logistics corridor which includes: - Investment in infrastructure - Development of intermodal facilities - Standardization of processes - Data sharing initiatives - Improved customer services According to Lord, since 9 August 2024 to 3 April 2025, 32 trains have traveled between Durban Port and Cato Ridge, removing approximately 1,408 truck trips from the roads in the past seven months, although December 2024 and January 2025 saw limited volumes. 'The facilities are well-equipped with reach stackers, security generators, and staff. Several local companies are inquiring about capacity and services. We are specifically seeking export clients who can pack goods in Cato Ridge and rail them to the port to ensure balanced loads,' Lord stated. The city's deadline for submissions on the amendment was 8 April 2025. D'Sa described the presentation as excellent and highlighted alternatives that would not involve demolishing residential homes. 'The inland port presentation is an eye-opener and needs political will to be carried through. We did present objections to the city about the rezoning, and we hope we cannot be dictated to and lose our homes. We don't need to build infrastructure such as roads because rail provides a solution," he said.
