As the much-revered grand Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath commences in Puri in Odisha on Monday, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple at Dwarka in the national Capital will mark the occasion with a grand offering of approximately 5,100 kilograms of various mango varieties.
The celebrations will begin a day ahead and continue into the following day, aligning with the Yatra in Puri.
Devotees will offer a range of mangoes, including Safeda, Dussehri, Langra, Malda, Chausa, Ramkela, Totapari, Bombay Green, and Mallika, as part of the rituals dedicated to Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra as part of the rituals.
Mangoes, revered as the "king of fruits," hold significant cultural and religious value, particularly in Krishna Lila, symbolising the sweetness of devotion in the divine pastimes of Lord Krishna. The celebration will attract nearly 20,000 people from across the city. Preparations are in full swing at the temple.
The temple altar will be adorned with an impressive display of mangoes, allowing devotees to participate in the "mango service" by offering their fruits at the Vigraha Seva Department on the eve of the yatra.
The festivities will also include a mango-eating competition. Golia, Sindoori, Gulabkhas, Neelam, Kesari, Gola, Lalbagh, Lambori, Ratul, and Alphonso like varieties will also be offered to the God.
Sri Gaur Prabhu, vice-president of the temple, explained, "Mango, the king of fruits, is loved by both children and adults during the summer season. This is why we organise the mango festival every year on the day of Jagannath Yatra. The offering of thousands of mangoes to the deities is beautiful to behold."
Attendees can capture memories at designated selfie points and participate in community service. The significance of mangoes in Krishna Lila is profound.
During the rasa dance, the gopis would offer mangoes to Krishna, symbolising the sweetness of their relationship. At another time, Krishna accepted mango pits from a poor Brahmana, valuing sincere devotion over material offerings. Mangoes also played a role in Krishna's childhood at Vrindavan, where he and his mischievous friends would often steal the delicious fruits from orchards.
Pritansu Priyadarsini Biswal from Bhubaneswar in Odisha was in praise for the ISKON temple’s concept of offering mangoes to the Lord Jagannath. “This celebration at the ISKCON temple in the country’s capital in Dwarka not only honours the divine but also brings together the community in a shared experience of devotion, cultural heritage, and the simple joy of enjoying mangoes,” she said.
Her Daughter Kunmun is equally excited as she says, “the temple in Puri will also be beautifully decorated with flowers, rangolis, and lights. I love the divine feeling that emanates from the entire procession.” Delhi-based Itishri Mohanti who is originally from Jajpur town, around 80 km away from Bhubaneswar said that since they cannot travel to Puri to be the part of the sacred Yatra, the dose of the divine tradition will be a delight at the ISKON in the city.
She explained that Puri is the most sacred place as the heart of Shri Hari is believed to be present within the idol of Lord Jagannath. The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra is a significant spiritual event, drawing large crowds of devotees eager to witness the procession and participate in the festivities, she added.
During this festival, the three sacred chariots of these three deities will be carried out in a large procession. The chariots will be the centre of attraction because of their colours, designs and amazing decoration, said Mohanti, the mother of a girl child.
