Religious fervour and gaiety mark Rath Yatra festival in Visakhapatnam

Religious fervour and gaiety marked the Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath, organised by various temples and associations in Visakhapatnam on June 20

Religious fervour and gaiety marked the Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath, organised by various temples and associations in the city on Tuesday. Devotees participated in large numbers in the pulling of chariots of the deity to invoke the blessings of Lord Jagannath.

ISKCON, Sagar Nagar, organised prayers behind the Central Park at Old Jail Road. Scores of devotees participated in the celebrations. Three chariots, one each carrying Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra. They were pulled by a large number of devotees amidst chanting of the names of the deity. Women drew colourful rangolis before pulling of the chariots and performed ‘kolatam’ before the chariots. The chariots were taken on the main road through Dabagardens, Jagadamba Junction and Siripuram before concluding at Gurajada Kalakshetram.

Rath Yatra celebrated with traditional fervour in Ukkunagaram township. D.K. Mohanty, Director (Commercial), RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, accompanied by Anju Mohanty, participated in the festival. Mr. Mohanty performed “Chherapanhara”, the sweeping of the Chariot with the Golden Broom.

A large number of devotees pulled the chariot along the streets of Ukkunagaram. Bhajans and dances were performed by the devotees along the Lord’s Rath Yatra route.

Several officials, residents of Ukkunagaram and people from surrounding areas offered prayers to Lord Jagannath.

The festival is a mixture of spiritual, cultural and social activities culminating with ‘Samaradhana’ on the last day.

The Rath Yatra festival by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, a socio-cultural organisation of Odia speaking people residing in Visakhapatnam, was organised in a traditional manner. Divisional Railway Manager Anup Satpathy and ADRM (Operations) Manoj Kumar Sahoo along with president of the Samaj J.K. Nayak, Secretary Bimal Kumar Mahanta and other members took part in the ‘Pahandi Bije’ ritual. The procession of the chariot carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, Sister Subhadra and Brother Balabhadra (Balarama) were taken out from the Jagannath temple complex at Daspalla Hills to Gundicha Ghar, the aunt’s place of Lord Jagannath, near Shanti Ashram at Lawson’s Bay colony.