The city is getting ready for organising rath yatras – at least three of them -- of Lord Jagannath on a grand scale on July 13.
Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj will begin the celebrations of rath yatra on Monday with Netrotsava at 7 a.m. at the samaj's temple premises behind AIR studios in Siripuram. The rath yatra will be held on July 13 afternoon at 3 p.m. This will be followed by Hera Panchami from the temple complex and the return rath yatra from Gundicha Ghar in Lawson's Bay Colony.
ISKCON show
ISKCON Visakhapatnam will conduct the rath yatra on the occasion of Aashada shukla dvitiya on July 13 with the participation of local legislators. According to its president Samba Das, a 33-foot collapsible ratham, first of its kind, specially built for the procession will begin from Sampat Vinayaka temple in Aseelmetta at 4.30 p.m.
The colourful ratham will be pulled by more than 1,000 Krishna devotees via GVMC, LIC, Dabagardens, Prakasaraopeta, Jagadamba Junction, Waltair Main Road an Siripuram and conclude at Gurazada Kalakshetra where the idols will be kept and worshipped. Prasada will be distributed to the devotees.
Mataji Nitaisevini dd said the devotional procession would include children dressed as Rama, Hanuman, traditional shehnaia troops, kolatam dances, bhajan mandalis, Gita groups, floats drawn by trucks, camels, and horses. “The first rath yatra was conducted in 1968 in San Francisco and since then it was taking place all over the world in Russia, Africa, Australia, America, and even in Pakistan, China and Hongkong,” she said.
In Inida, ISKCON will conduct rath yatras on the day at Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Guwahati, ujjain, Baroda, Hyderabad, Salem, Jaipur, Bangalaore, Surat and many other places, she said.
Main Road temple
The Jagannatha temple on the main road will spend Rs.3 lakhs for the celebrations this year which were initiated on Saturday.
Special homams will be organised on Sunday on the occasion of Amavasya and Sri Subhadra kalyanam will be performed on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, the freshly painted idols will be installed in the chariot in the morning and the car festival will be held in the evening, according to executive officer of the temple B. Trimurthulu. “Worship to the idols will be offered at the Turner's Choultry from July 14 to 21 where Lord Jagannatha will be presented in Dasavatarams and Seshapanpu avataram on the concluding day. The return ratha yatra will be held on July 22,” he said.
