ISKCON Jamshedpur gears up for Grand Rath Yatra on June 27

Jamshedpur: Devotees are all set to pull the sacred chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra in the much-awaited Rath Yatra, scheduled to be taken out by ISKCON Jamshedpur from the Bistupur Ram Mandir on Friday, June 27.

After a year-long wait, the enthusiasm among devotees is palpable. The excitement to tug at the ropes of the divine chariot — a symbolic gesture of pulling the Lord into one’s heart — is already visible in the vibrant preparations across the city.

This year’s Rath Yatra will begin at 2:30 pm from the Andhra Bhakta Shri Ram Temple in Bistupur and will cover a 4.5 km route via Gopal Maidan, Jusco Roundabout, Straight Mile Road, Keenan Stadium, and Sakchi Bada Roundabout before culminating at Sakchi Vehicle Stop around 7:30 pm. Three ornately decorated chariots have been prepared to carry the idols of Lord Jagannath, elder brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra on their journey to Mausi Bari, accompanied by the resonant chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

An important preparatory meeting was convened at the Bistupur Ram Mandir on Wednesday, chaired by Swami Padmanabh Jagannath Das, head of ISKCON Jamshedpur. The meeting was attended by key members of various social and religious organizations who have pledged support for the successful and safe organization of the event. Detailed discussions were held on logistics, crowd management, volunteer deployment, and ensuring peace and harmony during the Yatra.

Over 1000 volunteers from more than a dozen organizations — including the All India Ex-Servicemen Service Council, Military Mother Power, Durga Vahini, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Krida Bharati, The Voice of Humanity, Robin Hood Army, Green Caps Foundation, Blood Warriors, Silent Tales NGO, Arka Jain University, and Netaji Subhash University — will assist in managing the event.

To ensure the comfort of the devotees, refreshment and Prasad stalls are being set up at various points along the route by different groups. These will serve beverages, snacks, and traditional offerings to participants walking alongside the chariots.

Speaking to the press, Swami Padmanabh Jagannath Das emphasized, “This Yatra is not just a celebration of devotion but a message of unity, peace, and cultural harmony. We urge all citizens to participate with discipline and love, ensuring the sanctity of the event.”

Also present at the press briefing were Bhavani Shankar Gupta, Sunny Sanghi, Praveen Pandey, Gaurav Khandelwal, Shekhar Parvat, Ankush Agarwal, Narayan Naidu, Alok Sharma, Varun Kumar, Rajesh Bhagat, Vishal Bhatt, and Satyendra Kumar Singh — all actively involved in the coordination efforts.

The countdown has begun, and as the Lord of the Universe readies for His annual journey, the city of Jamshedpur is preparing to welcome Him with devotion, discipline, and joyous chants echoing through its streets.