KOLKATA: Thousands of Kolkatans came out on the streets to participate in Rath Yatra on Tuesday.Many pulled the chariot of Lord Jagannath while the rest stood along the way to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra. Chants of "Hare Krishna" filled the air as devotees sang religious songs, accompanied by the beat of drums and the sound of conch shells.Organized by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the Rath Yatra started from the Park Circus Maidan, went down AJC Bose Road and SN Banerjee Road to reach the Ganga Sagar Mela ground near Babughat. The rath will be kept here till Ulta Rath when it will be pulled back to the place of origin.Apart from those who pulled the rath right from the beginning, thousands of devotees stood on the route to touch the rope pulling the chariot. Even policemen on traffic duty were seen pulling the rope briefly."I was walking from Sealdah station when I saw the chariot passing. I joined the procession and participated in the Rath Yatra till Esplanade. This is first time I have done this and I feel blessed," said an elated Bipul Nath of Beliaghata.Monks of the ISKCON order from different parts of the world participated in the festival. Prasad was distributed among devotees along the route. Meticulous management by Kolkata Police ensured that traffic movement was not thrown out of gear.
No comments:
Post a Comment