Schoolchildren, college students and politicians walked from Lalbagh to Ramakrishna Math in Mangalore on Tuesday leading the Swami Vivekananda Rath which entered the city from Bantwal Tuesday morning.
The golden coloured rath (chariot), mounted on a motor vehicle, is made up of fibre material. It depicted five ‘shwetha ashwas’ (white horses) pulling the rath. The rath had two statues of Swami Vivekananda, one facing forward and another facing backward. Ramakrishna Math and Mission and Karnataka Ramakrishna Vivekananda Bhava Prachara Parishad organised the rath yatra to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary (1863-1902) of Vivekananda.
J.R. Lobo, MLA, flagged off the rath in front of Mangalore City Corporation’s office at Lalbagh. Some students were holding placards carrying messages of Vivekananda.
Model for Youth
While addressing students at a function at the math, near Mangaladevi Temple, Mr. Lobo said that Vivekananda was the role model for the youth and added that they should read his biography.
On Wednesday it will proceed to Thokkottu at 8.30 a.m. and later to Yenepoya University and K.S. Hegde Medical College at Deralakatte, where functions would be conducted from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. The rath would be at Kalladkka at 12.30 p.m. before going to Vitla. It will reach Puttur on Thursday and at Sullia on Friday and Hassan the next day.
The rath entered Dakshina Kannada through Charmadi Ghat on November 1. It visited Dharmasthala and Belthangady before entering Bantwal.
