The theme of this year’s Rath Yatra, organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), is mental peace. This is in light of the train crash in Odisha as well as increasing mental illness. Rath Yatra is on Tuesday.
“The Covid experience seems to have made people turn to a higher power for succour. We are getting more visitors to our temple than in pre-Covid times. A large number of victims of the accident are from Bengal. That is why we thought of mental peace as the theme in our 52nd edition,” said Radharaman Das, vice-president, Iskcon, Calcutta.
A prayer for the victims will be held on Monday, on the Rath Yatra eve, at 4.30am during Mangalarati.
An under-construction Iskcon temple at Bahanaga, the town in Odisha close to which the accident took place, has been serving prasad to people affected by the accident. “The place was used as a camp for rescue workers. Devotees from across Odisha pitched in,” said Vallabh Chaitanya Das, vice-president, Iskcon.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the Rath Yatra at 1pm, after an Odissi dance recital by Dona Ganguly and her troupe at the Albert Road temple. The chariots will start rolling at 2pm.
One of the iron wheels of Lord Baladev’s chariot had to be replaced after it broke on the way from the cowshed in New Town.
“The chariots of Jagannath and Baladev are 45 years old, with the latter being the tallest of the three, at 38ft. The broken wheel weighs 250kg and is 6ft in diameter. We will offer small pieces of it as souvenirs to devotees from a stall at the mela,” said Radharaman Das.
The mela will be at the Brigade Parade Ground from June 21 to 27. “There will be khichudi bhog on offer daily for visitors during the darshan hours from 4pm to 8.30pm,” said Ananga Mohan Das, also an Iskcon vice-president. The chariots will return to the temple on Ultarath day on June 28.
Water will be sprayed on the procession because of the heat.
The authorities are expecting higher participation as many devotees will be unable to travel to Puri in the aftermath of the accident.