Twenty ninth annual Jagannath Rathayatra festival @ Baroda
By Basu Ghosh Das
http://picasaweb.google.com/106959775035518989656/29thAnnualBarodaRathayatra2010July132010#
On the auspicious day of “aashadh shukla dvitiya”, Tuesday, July 13, 2010, ISKCON Baroda organized and observed for the twenty ninth consecutive year the Jagannath Rathayatra Mahotsav (festival) at Baroda, Gujarat, India. The local response to the Rathayatra festival has become almost “overwhelming”.
Local political leaders from both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People’s Party) and the Congress Party, including Baroda’s “combination” Mayor and Member of Parliament, Sri Balkrishna Shukla, local MLAs, Municipal Councilors, and other leaders came on the morning of the Rathayatra to the temple for darshan of Lord Jagannath and the new Deity dresses.
Also, a number of donors, life members of ISKCON, and members of the general public in large numbers also visited the temple for darshan of Lord Jagananth in the morning.
ISKCON leaders H. H. Bhakti Vinoda Swami (from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in South India), Sriman Jasomatinandan Das, ISKCON Gujarat Zonal Secretary, Sriman Sabhapati Das, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada from Australia, Basu Ghosh Das, President of ISKCON Baroda, Sarvopama Das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada from the USA, Sriman Krishnanam Das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada from Pune, Sarvabhauma Das, senior ISKCON preacher, medical doctor and TV lecturer from ISKCON Vrindavan, Surapati Das and Radharanjan Das, co-TPs ISKCON Lucknow, Bhaktivinode Das, co-TP Chandigarh, Satchidananda Das, TP ISKCON Vallabh Vidyanagar, and Murlimohan Das, Co-TP ISKCON Vijayawada all attended the Rathayatra festival.
Also, seventy-five congregational devotees from “Damodardesh” (Dubai), headed by Tulasi Govinda Das and Nityananda Prasad Das, were in attendance at the Rathayatra procession.
Sri Balkrishna Shukla, Baroda Mayor and M. P., and the District Collector of Baroda, Sri Vijay Nehera inaugurated the procession at the Railway Station, in the midst of thousands of onlookers, devotees, and a huge posse of local Police and SRP (State Reserve Police) personnel. The police provided “more than adequate” security for the safety of the festival. They were joined by private security personnel engaged by ISKCON Baroda for the procession. Large crowds pulled the ropes of Lord Jagannath’s cart throughout the route of the procession. A large crowd of devotees performed kirtans led by Premabhakti Das from Chicago. H. H. Bhakti Vinoda Swami led kirtan for more than two hours, and Jasomatinandan Das also led kirtan in front of the Rath cart for a long time.
Hundreds of members of the public approached Lord Jagannath’s Rath with offerings of fruits, flowers, flower garlands, sweets and money during the entire length of the procession.
Members of the Muslim community welcomed the Rathayatra and also made offerings of garlands to Lord Jagannath at several places along the procession’s route.
Sri Ashok Pawar, formerly a municipal councilor, organized a “pushpa varsha”
(“shower of flowers”) and reception for the Rathayatra procession near the GPO, Raopura.
The members of the Sikh gurudwara committee, located near the Khanderao Market (the office of the Baroda Municipality) also offered garlands to Lord Jagannath and the “Saropa” (ceremonial cloth) to Basu Ghosh Das, ISKCON Baroda temple president, who was seated on the Rath cart.
Respresentatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad also welcomed Lord Jagannath’s Rath. Bharat Maharaj, the mahant of the Santram temple at Salatwada naka, and the mahant of the Ramji Mandir on Madan Zampa Road also welcomed Lord Jagannath’s Rath with garlands.
ISKCON Baroda IYF devotees, headed by Nartaka Gauranga Das distributed books throughout the Rathayatra procession. Lila Parayan Das and others collected donations from the public during the procession.
The enthusiasm and participation of the members of the public at the Rathayatra was overwhelming.
Fifteen thousand tons of “halava” prasad, all cooked in “deshi ghee” was distributed from trucks moving behind the Rath cart. Later on at ISKCON Baroda, full plates of prasad were distributed to approximately forty thousand visitors, life members and VIPS!
ISKCON Baroda owes a debt of gratitude to the Rathayatra organizing committee, especially ISKCON Baroda Vice President Nityananda Ram Das. Also thanks to Bhakta Shivlal Goyal, Smt. Kanta Goyal, Bhakta Darshan Bhagat, Bhakta Dinesh Dalal, Bhakta Dhirubhai Patel, Sriman Shyam Chandra Das, and many other devotees from both within the ISKCON Baroda ashram, as well as to congregational devotees too numerous to mention here by name.
They are all members of Lord Jagananth’s army, so to speak, and without their participation and support the Rathayatra festival organization would not have been possible!
Jagannath Rathayatra mahotsav ki jaya!