Jagannath Rath Draws Huge Response

BY: DEEPAK KUMAR RATH

Jul 5, LOS ANGELES (SUN) — A People's Festival for a Humane God.

As millions of people all over the world watched or participated in the famous car festival (rath yatra) of Lord Jagannath on June 27, people’s love and faith in this greatest of the “humane gods” attained a new dimension.

The three magnificently decorated chariots-Taladhwaja, Darpadalana and Nandighosa-carrying Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath respectively were pulled by thousands of ecstatic devotees in Puri.

Besides Shrikshetra Puri, the ratha yatra was celebrated in grand style in over a hundred places all over the world including a couple of American cities. Half-a-dozen television channels beamed live the grand colourful show of the greatest of the Hindu gods to millions of houses in India and abroad. The celebration in Ahmedabad, with its 129 years of tradition of the Lord Jagannath's annual ratha yatra, has the distinction of being the second most popular. This is also the only yatra outside Orissa to enjoy state patronage.

While Puri hosted over 10 lakh devotees in the ratha yatra or Shri Gundicha yatra, it is expected that over 50 lakh devotees will participate during the next eight days till July 5, when the Bahuda yatra or the return journey of the Lord takes place, informed a temple administrator from Puri.

Reports from various towns and villages in Orissa suggested an ever-growing enthusiasm among Muslims, taking part in the celebrations, which indicate the strength and influence of the Jagannath cult in centuries-old harmonious living. A large number of foreigners including ISKCON followers also took part in the yatra in Puri.

In Delhi, the rath yatra was taken out in six different areas. The largest show was at the Jagannath temple of Shree Neelachala Seva Sangh in Hauz Khas village in South Delhi, where over one-and-a-half lakh devotees took part in the procession.

In Baripada, district headquarters of Mayurbhanj, the 415-year-old ratha yatra witnessed thousands of tribal devotees from neighbouring states like Jharkhand and West Bengal in their colourful best. The chariot of Goddess Subhadra was pulled only by women devotees, a three-decade-old practice, which is catching on in other places too.