ISKCON Kolkata Rathayatra 2004

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ISKCON KOLKATA RATHA YATRA 2004

 

 

ISKCON-Kolkata celebrated its 33rd Annual Jaganath Rathayatra on 19th June

2004. By the mercy of Their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannath , Baladeva and

Subhadra this year Kolkata Rathayatra was a grand success.

 

Ratha Yatra was scheduled to start at 1.30 pm however started at 2.30PM

because of rain prior to the inauguration function. All India Cricket Board

President Mr. Jagmohan Dalmia along with his Son and Daughter came to

inaugurate the function inspite of heavy rain. Mr. dalmia delivered a nice

speech explaining how he was influenced by his mother to be religious

person. But finally he learned the real Krishna consciousness when

he got association of ISKCON devotees. He mentioned that he was engaged in

the service of constructing Srila Prabhupada Samadhi at Mayapur and at that

time he had a lot of association with ISKCON devotees. Mr. Dalmia swept the

road before Ratha Yatra starts. Though there was heavy rains duirng

inauguration time in a very miracle way, by the arrangement of Lod Jagannath

thousands of people gathered just before Ratha starts . It was so much

crowed that we could not get space to move the chariot. It was looking like

an ocean of people. Throughout the procession there was no rain except for

last few minutes just before Ratha reached its final Destination, i.e.,

T.A.I. ground in Kolkata Maidan where Their Lordships will reside for next

seven days.The rain in last half an hour was so heavy that it was looking

like almost flood situation in Kolkata. But interestingly this rain could

not discourage the devotees. Rather devotees were enjoying to chant and

dance in the rain water. Some were in so much ecstacy that they were rolling

on the street in the rain water. It looked like thousands of people were

drowning in the ocean of bliss and ecstacy. HH. Bhakti Charu Swami was

leading the kirtan through out the procession. His melodious kirtan was

making the whole atmosphear so much spiritually surcharged.

 

This year Ratha Yatra was celebrated in very special way because of 108th

birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada. The procession itself was almost one

and a half Kilometer. There were 108 uniformly dressed college girls in the

in procession carrying water pots on their heads. 108 Youth fourum boys were

in procession each carrying a huge flag. There were 108 Nama Hatta ladies

carrying lamps and 108 ladies were engaged in blowing 108 conchshell. All

theses had made the procession very colourfull. There were a group of nicely

decorated hosres along with BSF and Army band parties. Different groups of

cultural parties like Dandia dance were also in the procession. Our Bhakti

Vriksha group had dressed in different way playing the role of Rama Sita and

Pancha pandava etc. One thousand Nama hatta devotees had come with thier

sankirtan group from diferent places near Kolkata. 400 devotees had come

from Mayapur to do sankirtan and to help co ordinating the Ratha Yatra.

 

This year HH. Jayapataka Swami, HH. Kabichandra Swami, HH. Bhakti Charu

Swami, H.H. Bhakti Purusottam Swami and HH Bhakti Siddhanta Swami were

present in Kolkata Ratha yatra. The presence of all theses holy

personalities had made the whole festival very much inspiring and

spiritually surcharged. One of the leading Bengali news paper had written

ISKCON Ratha yatra as the bigest festival of Kolkata. HH. Jayapataka Swami

commented that duirng his 32 yeras of attendance of Kolkata Ratha Yatra , he

had never seen such crowed. This proves the power of Lord Jagannath's

attractiveness and His mercyfullness.

Jaya Jagannath Ratha yatra!!!