GRAND CELEBRATION OF JAGANNATH RATH YATRA IN CHANDIGARH

Devotees take part in the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: On the auspicious occasion of Ashadh Shukla Dwitiya. The world famous Jagannath Rathyatra of Puri Jagannath is celebrated in Chandigarh sector-31D Jagannath temple. After 15 days of isolation and quarantine the lord of the universe Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra gave the Navyouvan Darshan on 19th June. The next day devotees from across Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Derabassi and some parts of Himachal Pradesh take the deities on to the Rath (Chariot) and pulled the chariots with all enthusiasm and joy. The air was filled with divine chants of “Jai Jagannath” along with the conch, bell and musical bands. The tradition of Jagannath Puri is clearly visible from the extravagant celebration here in Chandigarh.

Sh. Khageswar Nayak, one of the senior most members of Kalinga Cultural Trust which manages the Jagannath temple performed the role of the King serving as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath. He swept chariots and the road in front of the deities with a broom by sprinkling the sandalwood paste and Gangajal. This is the tradition followed across the globe wherever there is the temple of Lord Jagannath and celebration of Rathyatra. Sh. Rakesh Bajaj, Senior Advocate of Punjab & Haryana High Court joined the celebration as the Chief Guest. The Odia speaking people and communities in particular and Jagannath devotees in general took part in the celebration exhibiting their devotion for the deities.

The chariot was pulled by the devotees from the temple premises and took a tour of sector-31, 29-D, 20 Gaudiya math, sector-21, sector-20 labor chowk, sector-34 furniture market, sector-44 Laxmi Narayan Temple, Burali, sector-45, 46 Sanatan Dharm Mandir, sector-47-D and then reached the Jagannath temple again. The deities will be in the Sri Gundicha temple for next 9 days. On 28th June there will be the Bahuda yatra (return rathyatra). Every evening there will be Bhajan sandhya and kirtan in the temple premises. After the deities shifted to the Sri Gundicha temple, there was a bhandara and Mahaprasad sevan for the devotees.