Pragativahini News, Belagavi
For the 21st year in succession, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has organized Lord Jagannatha Ratha Yatra Mahotsava at Belagavi today, which fetched more than 50,000 people. Ram Govind Swami Maharaj commenced the procession by showing the Green Flag at Dharmaveer Sambhaji Chowk at 2 pm. Senior sanyassis of ISKCON like Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaj & Dayal Chandra Prabhu & Vrushabhanu Prabhu from Mumbai were also present.
As in every year, the Rathayatra was very colorful & is being celebrated with great devotion & enthusiasm, not only by thousands of devotees of ISKCON from many places in India & abroad, but also by the spiritually-minded citizens of Belagavi were present & pulling the chariot in large numbers en route the procession.
The heart of the procession was the Grand Ratha seating Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva & Subhadra Devi. They were decorated with fine clothing & garlands. Statue of ISKCON Founder His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was displayed in a separate rath. ISKCON devotees in several Kirtan parties were musically chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare” as they dance along the streets of this city. The devotees from various parts of India were present.
The procession was having many beautiful dioramas depicting the various pastimes of Lord Krishna. Various groups of colourfully dressed children were enacting such pastimes. Several bhaktas were blowing drums & displaying folk dance, also teams of Bhajan were playing bhajans in their traditional manner.
There was a long chain of gaily-decorated bullock carts as a part of Bullock Cart Competition. Prasadam packets were distributed to all along the route. Many devotees were moving on the streets distributing the various devotional literature based on Bhagavad Gita written by the Founder Acharya of ISKCON, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
Many well wishers showered flower petals upon the procession as it passed & many others were serving water, sharbat & fruits to the devotees.
Another special feature was that the whole route of the procession was decorated with artistic Rangoli designs by devotees. The entire route was having flags of different colors to welcome the cart of Lord Jagannatha.
The rath passed via Samadevi Galli, Khade Bazar, Ganpat Galli, Maruti Galli, Kirloskar Road, Ramling Khind Galli & from Hemukalani Chowk to Shani Temple & from there on New Railway Over Bridge, SPM Road, Khade Bazar – Shahapur, Nath Pai Circle, Goaves showering its blessings to the citizens of Belgaum & culminated at the ISKCON temple, Shukrawar Peth at 6.30 p.m.
The grounds behind the ISKCON Temple had a very festive look with beautifully decorated pandals & stalls. On evening at the pandal, there was Bhajans, Kirtans , arati of Lord Jagannatha, children’s programme & also discourses by ISKCON’s distinguished senior visiting devotees,. In addition, there are stalls featuring Bhagavad Gita Exhibitions, Goseva Stalls, Puppet Shows, Slide shows, Meditation Park, Dioramas, Display of Spiritual Books & devotional paraphernalia etc.
Rathyatra Committee Chairman Balkrishna Bhattad, Sanjeevani Krupa Das alongwith Members M. L. Agarwal,; Maheshchandra Gupta; Anant Lad; H. D. Katwa; Rajiv Hattaraki; Kannubhai Thakkar, Venkatesh Raibagi; Madan Deshpande; Shankarrao Kadolkar; Arvind Kolhapure; Omprakash Kwatra, Shankarshan Das, P. D. Dhotre & other senior devotees were also present.
Sunday Programmes :
On Sunday the 3rd February there will be lectures by senior sanyassis at 8.30 am & then Vaishnav Yagna at 4 pm, Arati at 6 pm, Cultural Programmes at 6.30 pm, Lecturers by sanyassis at 7.30 pm, Drama on Lord Krishna’s Pastimes at 8.30 pm & Kirtan & Prasadam for everybody at 9.00 pm.
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