Rath Yatra

GANDHINAGAR: For the first time, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will monitor the annual rath yatra (procession) of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad this year. The route of the procession passes through communally sensitive areas of the city, which witnesses tight security on the day. "The two UAVs will conduct aerial patrolling, monitor the rath yatra procession and click digital photographs to facilitate peaceful festival," Gujarat Director General of Police Amitabh Pathak said here today.

AHMEDABAD: The city was swept with devotion on Wednesday as Lord Jagannath, Balram and their sister, Subhadra, left the temple at Jamalpur to visit their maternal uncle's home in Saraspur. Later in the day, the rain gods greeted the three deities with a light shower as the Rath Yatra, accompanied by thousands of devotees, began its return journey. It was a show of piety and communal harmony as the procession got rousing welcome in areas like Shahpur and Dariapur, traditionally considered communally...

PATNA: The city on Wednesday wore a pious look when members of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) took out a 'Rath Yatra' which started from the ISKCON Patna centre on the Buddha Marg. Thousands of Lord Krishna devotees, singing devotional songs, accompanied the Rath Yatra which passed through Budh Marg, New Dak Bungalow Road, Fraser Road and Mahavir Temple. 'Prasad' was offered to the devotees who had gathered in large number along the route of the 'yatra'.

SOMNATH: Emphasising his pledge to build a Ram temple at Ayodhya, BJP president L K Advani on Sunday said his 'yatra' to the Somnath temple would end only when a 'grand temple' was built there. "For the past 15 years -- since 1990 -- I have been coming here on this very day for the 'darshan' of Lord Somnath. A new chapter in Indian politics began when I embarked on the Rath Yatra from here," Advani said. "This yatra will end only when a grand Ram Temple is built...

CUTTACK: Rath Yatra was celebrated with pulling of chariots in different parts of the state on Wednesday but people of Nijigada at Tigiria in Cuttack district will do so on Thursday. According to legend, King Jagannath Kshetriya Birabara Champati Singh Mohapatra was a devotee of Jagannath and was had the honour of performing an important ritual (bada parichha seva) on Rath Yatra in Puri. He used to travel to Puri to take part in the festival. On returning the next day, he conducted the festival in his...

GUMLA/HAZARIBAGH/BOKARO: Thousands of devotees, who participated in the Rath Yatra near their houses, were as excited to pull the Lord's chariot as those that did the same in Puri. In Gumla on Wednesday, thousands were seen pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath, brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra at Nagfeni where an historic temple of the deities is located on the bank of the South Koel river. Devotees worshipped the Lord at the temple after taking a dip at the South...

RAJKOT: Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the safe passage of the Lord JagannathRathYatra to be held on July 10 . On Sunday, Bhavnagar police conducted a flag march on the 17-km route of the yatra. State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawans and Rapid Action Force (RAF) also joined the flag march. "Ten companies of paramilitary forces including SRP have been provided and there will be over 900 police jawans on the route. We are taking all...

RAJKOT: Even as the 26th Jaganath Yatra in Bhavnagar is all set to roll out in on Sunday in the city, it is all decked up for the auspicious occasion. Bhavnagar rath yatra is the second-largest procession in the state after that of Ahmedabad. Security has been beefed in Bhavnagar for the 17-km long religious procession. Deputy inspector general of police (DIG), B K Shreemali, Junagadh range is camping in the city "We have made all the preparations for the rath yatra.

BHUBANESWAR : Gujarat chief minister NarendraModi will visit Puri during the RathYatra celebrations on July 16. This would be the BJPleader'sfirst visit to the state after becoming chairman of the party's election campaign committee. "Modiji is scheduled to come on a day's visit to Odisha. His only programme is to visit the Puri Jagannath temple and seek the Lord's blessings," state BJP president K V Singhdeo said on Wednesday. Party sources said Odisha leaders had...

KOLKATA: International society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) will organise the 41st Kolkata Rath Yatra on June 21; the theme for the festival being Rath Yatra 2012 is "Hare Krishna's in Russia". "We decided on this theme to highlight the wonderful Russian Vaishnava's and their glorious struggle for Krishna Bhakti, we decided to broadcast their glories through this year's Kolkata Rath Yatra. We ask everyone to join Russian devotees in glorifying Lord...

BHUBANESWAR: Ravenshaw Radio 90.4 MHz, the campus community radio station of Ravenshaw University , will give a running commentary of the Rath Yatra from 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Alok Dash, a second year undergraduate student of political science of the University, will give the commentary on the famous chariot festival of Jagannath of Puri, said Subrat Panda, programme executive of Ravenshaw Radio. Dash will also chant slokas and sing hymns in praise of Jagannath...

AHMEDABAD: More than 1,600 brand new two-wheelers and cars were sold in the city on the rath yatra day. This is an increase of about 25% as compared to the same day last year. Ahmedabad RTO J N Bhatt said that this year 450 new cars were delivered on the day of 136th Jagannath Rath Yatra. This is an increase of 15% over the last year when 390 cars were registered by the city's RTO. In addition, against the sale of 880 two-wheelers on the last rath yatra day, 1,150 two-wheelers were bought...

AHMEDABAD: When Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra reached his maternal uncle's house in Saraspur, the heavens opened up. For the devotees in the procession, this was a good omen. Rain, on the day of the rath yatra, is considered especially auspicious, and this year, the rain gods didn't disappoint. Traditionally, during Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balramji visit their uncle's place in Sarsapur and have lunch before returning to the temple in Jamalpur. This year, the enthusiasm...

BERHAMPUR/KORAPUT: Royalty came out with all its grandeur on Rath Yatra. Clad in their regal attire that is accessorized by swords, scions of several royal families performed 'chhera pahanra' (sweeping of chariots) at different places in the state. "I have carried on with this tradition since my father's death in 1974," said Sishir Kumar Narendra Dev, the elder son of Ashok Kumar Narendra Dev of Mahuri estate. He performed the 'chhera pahanra' at Khaspa street, where the Mahuri king built a Jagannath temple over...

PATNA: The chant of "Harey Krishna, Harey Krishna, Harey Krishna Harey Harey.... "mesmerized Patnaites who pulled the rath of Lord Jagannath at the Jagannath rath yatra organized by International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) here on Wednesday. The 40-feet grand rath, where idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baldev and Subhadra were seated in, was rolled off from ISKCON temple and the yatra, while crossing through Dak Bungalow Road, Frazer Road, Gandhi Maidan,...

BHUBANESWAR: Odias residing in New Delhi thronged the Jagannath temple at Tyagaraj Nagar to witness Rath Yatra on Wednesday. Unlike Puri, where the three deities come out of the temple and reside in Gundicha temple for nine days, in New Delhi the deities return to the same temple after a huge procession. "The chariot covers a distance of 3 km before returning to the temple as the Gundicha temple is located on the same premises. On Bahuda too, the chariots are pulled in a similar...

VADODARA: Lord Jagannath along with Lord Balram and Devi Subhadra will make their gala journey in the city on a decorated chariot on Wednesday that marks the auspicious day of Aashadh sud bij as per the Gujarati calendar. After a break of five years, the 32nd annual Rath Yatra that will pass through rain-kissed roads will witness an elephant leading the festival of chariots. In the wake of the serial blasts that rocked Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar, security has been beefed up at Gotri temple of the...

Hyderabad: The annual Jagannatha rath yatra will be held in the city on July 13. Speaking to the media here on Saturday, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, (Iskcon) Abids, president Vedanta Caitanya Das said the ratha yatra would start on July 13 at 11.30 am from NTR stadium and proceed via RTC Crossroad , Chikkadpally, Narayanguda crossroad, YMCA, Kachiguda crossroad, Badichowdi, Sultanbazar, Women's College, Putlibowli, Jambagh road, Abids road, Station...

AHMEDABAD: Amid tight security and monitoring by two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the 136th Lord Jagannath rath yatra began here on Wednesday morning. As per tradition, elephants had a first glimpse of Lord Jagannath and led the procession, which set off from the over 400-year-old iconic Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi performed the 'Pahind Vidhi' (symbolic cleaning of the path for chariot of Lord Jagannath) for the rath...