Chennai: This year, Chennai city will witness one of the biggest Jagannath Ratha Yatras on January 14. The Ratha Yatra or chariot festival, is a festival of fun, dancing and food for life, celebrated across six continents. Despite heavy rains and destruction that the city saw last month, it is all geared up for this exciting event.
“This is the biggest Ratha Yatra in Chennai. We take pride in bringing this wonderful and colorful parade, which gives people an opportunity to come together and pay their respects to Lord Jagannath,” said G. K Das of Iskcon.
The yatra is expected to be much bigger than usual as a result of Iskcon temple’s golden jubilee celebrations. The festival, inaugurated on July 27, 1967, in San Francisco, had become an annual ritual since 1983. The festival that promises to take away anxiety and fill people with peace and joy is themed ‘Joy of Devotion’ this year with the aim to uplift the spirit of the Chennaiites who may have lost a lot during the floods.
“As this is Iskcon’s golden jubilee year, we are hoping for a lot more support from the public to ensure the smooth movement of the yatra. We have requested various government agencies to contribute their efforts to the same,” said Prabhakar Rao who was present on the dais.
To add to the unique flavor of this year’s yatra, students from various schools across the city will take part in the procession. So as to provide security to the students and others who are taking part in the yatra, a team of volunteers with special t-shirts and walkie talkies will walk right in the middle of the parade.
As usual, during the procession, Iskcon will distribute about 10,000 plates of prasadam and fruits to the general public. “Onlookers are taken by surprise to see Lord Jagannath on a colorful cart, pouring out his mercy. People wait eagerly for the Prasadam thrown from the Ratha,” said Das.
“Onlookers are taken by surprise to see Lord Jagannath on a colorful cart, pouring out his mercy. People wait eagerly for the prasadam thrown from the Ratha,” said Das. Justice M.Jaichandren, judge of the high court and Jatindra Nath Swain, principal secretary, public and rehabilitation department, will be the chief guests on the occasion.
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