Latest news with #RathaYatra
Business Standard
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Community, Commerce and Refreshment: How Coca-Cola India is Enabling Vendors and Reaching Millions in Puri
PRNewswire New Delhi [India], July 8: As Odisha welcomed millions of visitors for Ratha Yatra 2025, Coca-Cola India, in partnership with its bottling operations, ensured access to refreshment and hydration for those attending one of India's largest cultural festivals. The company's on-ground presence made chilled beverages easily accessible across Puri, while supporting the local economy. To make this possible, the company ensured availability of beverages through a strong retail and distribution network across the city of Puri. Along with hydration points, kiosks and mobile units deployed across Puri, the company leveraged its expansive retail and bottling network to ensure economic empowerment for the local partners as well. Aligned with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's vision, this effort reflects Coca-Cola India's broader strategy to strengthen last-mile retail, enable economic opportunity at the grassroots level, and reinforce its presence during high-footfall cultural moments. The carts were managed by local vendors, including women entrepreneurs, creating direct income opportunities during the festival. By equipping retail outlets and prime hotspots with coolers, Coca-Cola India supported small businesses and ensured widespread access to chilled beverages throughout the celebrations. Vinay Nair, Vice President, Franchise Operations, Developing Markets, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, "Our engagement in Puri reflects Coca-Cola India's focus on hydration with purpose. By enabling product availability at scale and creating livelihood opportunities for local vendors and women entrepreneurs, we are creating a positive socio-economic impact in the region. This has been possible through the strength of our bottling network, our distributor partners, retail customers and the unwavering commitment of our dedicated teams on ground." Prasanna Borah, Commercial Cluster Head, Odisha, AP, Telangana, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, said, "Coca-Cola's strategy of enabling local entrepreneurship is translating into tangible impact across Odisha. Through our strong retail reach and execution on-ground, we're not just delivering beverages, we're delivering opportunity, and growth. It is a model of execution that builds both commerce and community." Coca-Cola India continues to train and equip local vendors and women entrepreneurs to manage retail outlets through its Superpower Retailer programme, turning seasonal footfall into long-term economic stability. Gayatri Senapati, a local retailer, said, "I've been selling Coca-Cola products for over 11 years. During Ratha Yatra, lots of people visit and everyone wants something cold. We stock up on Kinley, Thums Up, Sprite, Coca-Cola, and Minute Maid. Our display attracts people and makes us feel proud." Rajesh Kumar Rana, owner, Nrusingha Sweets shop in Puri, said, "We've been running this shop for over 25 years, and Coca-Cola has become a big part of our journey. With so many festivals, people come here throughout the year. Ours is a traditional sweet shop where we also keep chilled beverages like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Thums Up and water. Whatever visitors need, we make sure it's there." Ajay Shah, a local distributor, said, "We've been working with Coca-Cola since 2002. Back then, business was slow, but we knew it would pick up in the future, and it did. Today, we are going really strong. We run six trucks, and during festivals like Ratha Yatra, things really take off for us." Anchored in the company's business with purpose approach, Anandana (The Coca-Cola India Foundation) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) had launched the PET Waste Clean-up Drive initiative to help manage plastic waste during the festival. As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, the effort led to reducing plastic litter with city-wide collection and public engagement, through beach cleanups, plog runs and awareness drives. For further information, please visit About Coca-Cola India Coca-Cola in India is one of the country's leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of 'Beverages For Life', offers a wide portfolio of products, which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy-based products. In India, its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up XForce, Charged, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Kinley Soda, Rim Zim, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and Honest Tea. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca GlucoCharge, Smartwater, Kinley, Kinley Copper, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water. Premium products constitute Schweppes' range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers a Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. The Company, along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 5 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water and packaging initiatives, sustainable agriculture and emission reductions across its value chain. Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Photo: Logo:
The Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Wire
Community, Commerce and Refreshment: How Coca-Cola India is Enabling Vendors and Reaching Millions in Puri
NEW DELHI, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Odisha welcomed millions of visitors for Ratha Yatra 2025, Coca-Cola India, in partnership with its bottling operations, ensured access to refreshment and hydration for those attending one of India's largest cultural festivals. The company's on-ground presence made chilled beverages easily accessible across Puri, while supporting the local economy. To make this possible, the company ensured availability of beverages through a strong retail and distribution network across the city of Puri. Along with hydration points, kiosks and mobile units deployed across Puri, the company leveraged its expansive retail and bottling network to ensure economic empowerment for the local partners as well. Aligned with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's vision, this effort reflects Coca-Cola India's broader strategy to strengthen last-mile retail, enable economic opportunity at the grassroots level, and reinforce its presence during high-footfall cultural moments. The carts were managed by local vendors, including women entrepreneurs, creating direct income opportunities during the festival. By equipping retail outlets and prime hotspots with coolers, Coca-Cola India supported small businesses and ensured widespread access to chilled beverages throughout the celebrations. Vinay Nair, Vice President, Franchise Operations, Developing Markets, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, "Our engagement in Puri reflects Coca-Cola India's focus on hydration with purpose. By enabling product availability at scale and creating livelihood opportunities for local vendors and women entrepreneurs, we are creating a positive socio-economic impact in the region. This has been possible through the strength of our bottling network, our distributor partners, retail customers and the unwavering commitment of our dedicated teams on ground." Prasanna Borah, Commercial Cluster Head, Odisha, AP, Telangana, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, said, "Coca-Cola's strategy of enabling local entrepreneurship is translating into tangible impact across Odisha. Through our strong retail reach and execution on-ground, we're not just delivering beverages, we're delivering opportunity, and growth. It is a model of execution that builds both commerce and community." Coca-Cola India continues to train and equip local vendors and women entrepreneurs to manage retail outlets through its Superpower Retailer programme, turning seasonal footfall into long-term economic stability. Gayatri Senapati, a local retailer, said, "I've been selling Coca-Cola products for over 11 years. During Ratha Yatra, lots of people visit and everyone wants something cold. We stock up on Kinley, Thums Up, Sprite, Coca-Cola, and Minute Maid. Our display attracts people and makes us feel proud." Rajesh Kumar Rana, owner, Nrusingha Sweets shop in Puri, said, "We've been running this shop for over 25 years, and Coca-Cola has become a big part of our journey. With so many festivals, people come here throughout the year. Ours is a traditional sweet shop where we also keep chilled beverages like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Thums Up and water. Whatever visitors need, we make sure it's there." Ajay Shah, a local distributor, said, "We've been working with Coca-Cola since 2002. Back then, business was slow, but we knew it would pick up in the future, and it did. Today, we are going really strong. We run six trucks, and during festivals like Ratha Yatra, things really take off for us." Anchored in the company's business with purpose approach, Anandana (The Coca-Cola India Foundation) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) had launched the PET Waste Clean-up Drive initiative to help manage plastic waste during the festival. As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, the effort led to reducing plastic litter with city-wide collection and public engagement, through beach cleanups, plog runs and awareness drives. For further information, please visit About Coca-Cola India Coca-Cola in India is one of the country's leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of 'Beverages For Life', offers a wide portfolio of products, which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy-based products. In India, its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up XForce, Charged, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Kinley Soda, Rim Zim, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and Honest Tea. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca GlucoCharge, Smartwater, Kinley, Kinley Copper, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water. Premium products constitute Schweppes' range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers a Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. The Company, along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 5 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water and packaging initiatives, sustainable agriculture and emission reductions across its value chain. Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Photo: Logo: (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
CTV News
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We believe in peace, equality, and respect': Regina's Hindu community celebrates Ratha Yatra
Regina's Hindu community celebrated its fourth annual Ratha Yatra festival, also known as the Chariot Festival. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News) Through music, food, and a parade, Regina's Hindu community celebrated its fourth annual Ratha Yatra festival on Sunday. Also known as the Chariot Festival, the celebration symbolizes inclusion, unity and equality amongst the cultural heritage of Hinduism. '[Ratha Yatra] is not just a religious celebration. We believe it's a celebration of community, it's a celebration of peace, unity and of devotion,' shared Varun Sharma, president of the Hindu Temple Regina. The all-day event began at the Hindu Temple Regina, following a walk to Wascana Park to participate in prayer and rituals on site, as well as cultural activities. Hindu community Regina Regina's Hindu community celebrated its fourth annual Ratha Yatra festival, also known as the Chariot Festival. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News) With the annual commemoration being the biggest Hindu community event in India, Sharma said the organization aimed to bring the festivities to Regina. 'Regina, especially Canada, we believe it's a place where we value diversification. We value culture and we value our right for speech,' he said. 'We just wanted to show what Hinduism is, what we stand for, what we believe in so that everyone should know that we are here. We are making a contribution in the economy. We are making contribution in all and in every area in the community. That's the message we want to pass, and that everyone should know we believe in peace, equality and respect.' The event was open to the public, seeing around 5,000 people in attendance.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
City's first Krishna temple opens in Weston
For Greg Crowe, the opening of Winnipeg's first temple for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is like a homecoming. Raised in the Salvation Army, Crowe was christened at that denomination's Weston Community Church — now the new home for ISKCON in Winnipeg. 'It's like a coincidence, but I believe Krishna talks to me through coincidences,' said Crowe, a local high school band teacher who has been part of ISKCON, also known as the Hare Krishna movement, for about 20 years. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Dancers lead the chariot through the Maples during the chariot festival on July 5. The new temple, called Shri Hari Vaikuntha Dham, is 'like a dream come true' for him and the larger ISKCON community. 'I'm ecstatic about it,' he said. 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space.' Daniel Clark feels the same way. The local bookkeeper, who is a musician at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'There is a sense of energy in the community about the new temple,' said Clark, a musician who plays at the Unitarian church and who will also play at temple services. 'The idea brings out the best of emotions in me.' Crowe and Clark shared their thoughts about the new temple at the July 5 Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, at the Maples Community Centre. The annual festival found about 1,000 devotees pulling a large chariot bearing local priests and images of the deities Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), Balabhadra and Subhadra through the neighbourhood. The procession was led by dancers, drummers and singers who chanted 'Hare Krishna' and the names of the deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS 'It will be so great to be all together in our own dedicated space,' Greg Crowe said. The festival, which also featured cultural displays, dance and food, was part of the launch of the new temple, which is located at 1390 Roy Ave. in the Weston neighbourhood. 'This is a historic moment for Manitoba,' said temple president Vishwambhara Kripa Das, noting that devotees in the city have dreamt for years of establishing a permanent spiritual centre in Winnipeg. The former Salvation Army church became available when it merged with the Weetamah Corps on Logan Ave. ISKCON's Winnipeg chapter bought the building for $850,000 in February. The new temple, which will be officially opened on August 16, will be a spiritual and cultural hub for the community, offering daily worship, youth education, food distribution, interfaith dialogue and wellness programs for all ages, Kripa Das said. It will also be a place to promote service to the community, he said, noting that Krishna consciousness is about more than chanting the name of deities. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Daniel Clark has been attending ISKCON gatherings in local homes since 2009. 'It's about living a life of purpose, service, kindness and compassion,' he said. 'We serve Krishna by serving others, and serving all of creation, every living thing.' That will include renovating the kitchen so it can be available to serve meals to the wider community, including during emergencies like the recent wildfire evacuations. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. For Jaya Kaushik, who came to Canada in 2019 as an international student, having their own temple means no longer needing to rent space for darshan — spending time in the presence of a deity to seek its blessing. Now Kaushik and others can worship whenever they want at the temple, where a priest is present every day. Vrinda Devi Dasi is ISKCON's supervisor for Canada. She is happy to see Winnipeg finally get its own temple. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Drummers and a priest bring an image of a deity to the chariot at the July 5 festival. 'It's good to finally have that home,' she said. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Time of India
Vacant Gundicha Templa waits for sibling deities for a year
Bhubaneswar: The Gundicha Temple in Puri has fallen silent, returning to solitude as the sibling deities — gods Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra — departed for their main abode, Jagannath Temple, during Saturday's Bahuda Yatra. The Gundicha shrine, believed to be the deities' birthplace, will remain vacant until next year's Rath Yatra. "This remarkable temple holds a unique distinction, as it's presumably the only shrine where the sanctum sanctorum remains vacant (without any deity) except for about a week when the divine siblings visit their birthplace during Rath Yatra," said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor of the Jagannath Temple. "Only a humble earthen lamp continues to illuminate their consecrated podium at Gundicha Temple following their departure," said Dasmohapatra. This usually quiet temple transformed into a vibrant and bustling spiritual centre, hosting 25 daily rituals and serving Mahaprasad to countless devotees, akin to the Jagannath temple, ever since the deities arrived on June 28 a day after Rath Yatra. Although the temple will remain without its principal deities for worship, pilgrims maintain unrestricted access to the sacred premises. On normal days, the temple receives about 200 devotees. The architectural marvel stands within an extensively landscaped garden, earning its endearing nickname as the Lord's "garden house". The garden is home to diverse vegetation, including coconut palms, magnificent mango trees, medicinal neem trees, and aromatic plants such as sacred "tulasi", fragrant roses, and jasmine. The entire temple complex is encompassed by a boundary wall measuring 430 feet in length, 320 feet in breadth, and reaching a height of 20 feet. Local devotees expressed profound emotional attachment and a sense of emptiness following the deities' departure. "The void becomes palpable after the Bahuda Yatra. This year's farewell carries additional emotional weight due to the unprecedented and tragic stampede incident on June 29, which claimed three precious lives outside the Gundicha Temple. Such a heartbreaking occurrence was previously unheard of at this sacred site, which remains intrinsically connected to Jagannath culture during the Rath Yatra," said Sovan Pattnaik, a local devotee. The temple's historical and spiritual significance is deeply rooted in various legendary narratives, particularly highlighting Queen Gundicha's unwavering devotion to Lord Jagannath. Somanath Pujapanda, a Jagannath researcher, said, "Multiple fascinating legends surround the Gundicha temple's origins. One prominent narrative recounts how Queen Gundicha, wife of King Indradyumna, demonstrated exceptional devotion to Lord Jagannath. Moved by her profound dedication, the Lord promised to visit her residence during the Ratha Yatra. Another legend designates this sacred space as the birthplace of the divine siblings." Recent renovations have enhanced the shrine's exterior appearance with stone-cladding, landscaping, and improved lighting. "With conclusion of Rath Yatra, the Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation Limited will undertake comprehensive renovation inside Gundicha temple, including improvements to the kitchen and Nata Mandap. Murals highlighting Jagannath culture will be crafted on walls inside the shrine," said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration.
