Suvendu to inaugurate ISKCON's Kolkata Rath Yatra

Kolkata, Jul 14 (PTI) ISKCON on Tuesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will inaugurate its Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in the city on July 16. Adhikari's predecessor Mamata Banerjee used to flag off the annual procession organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) since becoming the chief minister in 2011. "Following the traditional Indian custom, he will participate in the symbolic 'Chera Pahara' (sweeping of the chariot path) seva by cleaning the path in front of the Lord’s chariot with a golden broom. Thereafter, the 55th Kolkata Rath Yatra will be officially inaugurated with him pulling the first rope of the chariot," the ISKCON said in a statement. The organisation said the festival is not merely religious but a sincere call to the global community for peace, goodwill and unity. Rath Yatra presents India before the world as the land of temples, a source of eternal wisdom, and a shining symbol of universal love, peace, harmony, and human values. The theme of this year's festival is 'The Land of India — The Heritage of Temple Culture', the statement said. It said that devotees from Russia and Ukraine, two warring nations, came together and participated in the Kolkata Rath Yatra last year. "Another special attraction of last year’s Rath Yatra was the replacement of the chariot wheels. After many years of service, the famous Boeing 747 aircraft wheels were replaced with Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft wheels," ISKCON said. The chariot procession will begin at noon from the ISKCON Kolkata temple on Albert Road and proceed to Brigade Parade Ground via Hungerford Street, AJC Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, SP Mukherjee Road, Exide Crossing, JL Nehru Road and Outram Road, according to the statement. The 38-foot-high chariot of Jagannath has a foldable canopy to negotiate Kolkata's narrow streets, while the 36-foot Rath of Balaram has four iron wheels of about 4.5 feet in diameter each, it said, adding that the chariot of Subhadra is the smallest of the three. The Ulta Rath, or Bahuda Yatra, will be held on July 24, with the chariots returning from Brigade Parade Ground to the ISKCON temple along a similar route in reverse, it said. A week-long Jagannath Mahamela will be held at Brigade Parade Ground from July 17 to 23, featuring a replica of the Gundicha Temple designed in the style of the Balaji temple at Tirupati, performances by dance troupes. The Kolkata Rath Yatra draws close to 20 lakh people annually, the statement said, adding that the festival, first taken abroad by ISKCON founder A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to San Francisco in 1967, is now celebrated in more than 150 countries. PTI BSM NN