Gita Jayanti celebration at Mayapur ISKCON
ISKCON's headquarters in Mayapur has become a testament to the unwavering enthusiasm of devotees and tourists, undeterred by the barbaric attacks by fundamentalists on minorities and ISKCON in Bangladesh.
After a lull of two years due to a pandemic situation, the annual grand Rath Yatra at Rajapur of Iskcon, Mayapur in Nadia was celebrated with much fanfare and grandeur this year, today.
Thousands of devotees from across the state pulled the decked-up chariots of lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra amid chants of “Hare Krishna”.
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At Rajapur temple of Iskcon, the Rath Yatra festival started amidst tight security and fanfare. Calcutta High Court judge Koushik Chanda performed a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots using a golden broom. This apart, the state’s minister for correctional administration Ujjal Biswas, Nabadwip legislative member Pundarikakshya Saha and others were present.
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The procession featured congregational chanting (sankirtan), dance and musical performances by the devotees. Further, accompanying the chariots, devotees played drums, tambourines, trumpets, cymbals.
Along the way, the deities were showered with flowers and offered fruits, sweets like payash, khaja and other delicacies, said Iskcon spokesperson Ramesh Das.
The idols of lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra, seated on three different chariots, were taken out from the Iskcon Jagannath temple, Rajapur to Chandrodaya temple at Mayapur.
The most unique feature of Rath Yatra at Mayapur is that it becomes a symbol of connecting and integrating people from various communities and socio-economic backgrounds.
For years, it has been a practice in Mayapur that the barriers of caste, creed, community, colour fall apart and people turn up in large numbers to get a glance of lord Jagannath seated in his flower-decked cart.
This year, the Iskcon Rath Yatra at Mayapur has a special attraction for the devotees as the wheel of Baladev’s chariot from Puri has reached Mayapur. The wheel from Puri has already been kept in front of the Samadhi Mandir. Those who will be unable to go Puri will get a chance to have a glimpse of the wheel.
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