CM participates in grand �rath yatra�, prays for welfare of the State

Jamshedpur, June 25: Chief Minister Raghubar Das along with thousand devotees participated in the rath yatra organised in the city on the large scale.

On its 10th year, Iskcon in association with socio-religious outfits in the city organised the biggest Rath Yatra in Jamshedpur so far. The idols of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balaram, each were placed in three different chariots for a grand procession from the Ram Mandir in Bistupur. A crowd of about 10,000 celebrated the procession where devotees tried to pull the chariots.

The Chief Minister was the star attraction as he offered puja and also addressed the people who thronged the Ram mandir only to get a glimpse of Lord Jagannath and pull the sacred chariot.

” I am really happy to be part of the festival. I pray to Lord Jagannath that he bestows our State with his blessings so that it develops in all sectors. With God�s grace, Jharkhand will someday be prosperous state. I also pray to the Lord to bestow the state with good rainfall during the monsoon which would ultimately help the farmers in yielding a good produce for themselves,” said Das.

Jamshedpur parliamentarian Bidyut Baran Mahato was also presnet on the occasion who also participated in the arti. Members of Iskcon and devotees danced on kirtans. The procession that started from Bistupur culminated at the Dhalbhum Club in Sakchi after covering a route of about six kms.

This time the Rath Yatra in Jamshedpur got bigger with thousands of devotees thronging to pull the chariots. The Rath yatra was organised at many different places across the steel city.

Devotees were also seen at the Naga temple in Beldih golf course, which too organises the Jagannath Rath Yatra. The crowd was more here as this stays the oldest Jagannath Rath yatra in the city.

The Utkal Association in Sakchi also organised a cultural programme in their premises. The club consisting of Odia community celebrated the Rath yatra in a traditional way with music and dance.

A blend of religious zeal and passion convert the streets and alleys of the city into a kaleidoscope of colors and gaiety. Festival began with a huge fanfare of drums and cymbals. They were accompanied by music and dancers.

�For us it is the most important event of the year. Every year the yatra is taken out with pomp and show. Moreover we also believe that the human body itself is the chariot of the almighty and our senses are the horses that pull the chariot. And the rath yatra symbolizes taking our body in the right direction,� said Bhagwan Das, priest of the mandir.

The rath yatra began in the evening and it took more than two hours for it to reach its destination. Children, dressed as Sri Krishna and Balarama and other mythological characters participated in the procession, were the cynosure of all eyes.