Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 3: Thousands of devotees drawn from all walks of life participated in the impressive Rath Yatra of Lord Shree Jagannath Ji, which was taken out here today.
The Yatra, which started from City Palace Kachi Chawni, was organized by Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra Committee, Jammu.
Thousands of people drawn from different parts of Jammu participated in the Rath Yatra. MLA East Rajesh Gupta, MLA West Sat Sharma, Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra President Vikram Malhotra, Rajan Bhan, General Secretary, Nitai Das, President ISKCON Temple Dream City Muthi, Rajinder Manhas, District President PDP Jammu Urban, ISKCON Temple President from Katra Sudershan Das, ISKCON Temple President from Amritsar Indra Anuj Das, ISKCON Temple President from Udhampur Kunti Devi Dassi and many others were present during the yatra.
Navayogendra Maharaj came soon after the arrival of their Lordships and performed the aarti ceremony for the pleasure of the Lord of the Universe.
Shri Jagannath Ashtakam (Praises of the Lord composed by Adi Shankaracharya) was led by Maharaj ji, which was followed by the entire congregation present. The Rath was being pulled by devotees. With the blowing of conch shells and loud uproar of Hare Krishna sankirtan their Lordships happily proceeded for the procession which included various kirtan parties. The children of ‘Gurukul’ from ISKCON Temple Udhampur performed Hari Krishna sankirtan. The people enroute served sweet water and fruits to devotees who participated in the Yatra.
The Yatra started from Kachi Chawni in the afternoon and passed through Parade, Shalamar, City Chowk, Raghunath Bazaar, Hari Market, Indira Chowk, Gummat, Vinayak Bazar, Canal Road, Talab Tillo, Bohri, culminated near Kashmir Hills Resort, Patta Borhi, Jammu late in the evening. The devotees’ enroute were chanting bhajans and singing songs in praise of Lord Jagannath.
“This Jagannath Rath Yatra has been celebrated for thousands of years in the Holy abode of Shri Jagannath Puri, Odhisa. King Indradyumna had constructed the giant temple two thousand years back and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabupada (prophesied senapati of Lord Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu) spread this legacy to the Western world and established International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York in1966. His message to the world was Vasudeva kutumbakam, meaning: The Whole World is one family of The Lord, so we are supposed to live in harmony by treating everyone as a part and parcel of that Supreme Lord”, informed Navayogendra Maharaj.
“The pulling of Rath (Cart) during the Rath Yatra procession by the devotees symbolized the attempt of the residents of Vrindavan to bring Krishna, Balarama and Subdhara back to Vrindavan from Kurukshetra. The devotees of ISKCON believe that pulling the rope of the Chariot also signifies trying to bring Krishna (the supreme Lord) back to their heart”, said Rath Yatra President Vikram Malhotra.
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