A large number of devotees participated in the Gundhicha Jagannath Rath Yatra organised by the Shri Ram Mandir Samiti here on Wednesday. In the morning amid surging religious sentiments the idols of lord Jagannath, Balbhadra, Subhadhra and Sudarshan were washed with chanting of mantras at the Ram Temple located in the Deeplok Colony Ballupur Road.
The idols were then mounted on their respective Chariots (Raths) for the procession. A spectacular Dashawatar Aarati of the deities was performed by Pandit Subash Chandra Satpathi and Pandit Purushotam Dimri on the occasion. The devotees worshipped the idols and held prayers for communal harmony, peace and prosperity to prevail in the country and State of Uttarakhand. The procession then started amid chanting of mantras, the devotees were seen sweeping the Yatra route for the procession.
lord Jagannath is considered as the reigning deity of Kalyuga and is considered to be the only God that comes out of its abode to give Dharshans to devotees. The Rajpur road MlA and parliamentary secretary Rajkumar was present on the occasion as representative of the Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The procession started when Rajkumar and other used brooms to sweep the path ahead of lord Jagannath.
The Yatra meandered throughBallupur Chowk and Kishan Nagar Chowkw where the procession was accorded a grand reception at the Radha Krishna temple. This temple was decked up as the maternal uncle’s home of the lord Jagannath. The Rath Yatra then proceeded through Bindal Bridge, Connaught place, Clock Tower, Paltan market, Kotwali, Dhamawala, Hanuman Chowk, Sai Temple, Tilak road and returned back to the Ram temple Deep lok colony. There the idols were again placed on their respective gems decorated seats after the circumvallation of the city. A special Mahri dance and Prasad of Amalu bhoj were the new attraction in the Jagannath Yatra of this year which is now a permanent fixture of Dehradun.