Baroda Rathayatra report

[Guest guest]

The following is a report on ISKCON Baroda's 21st annual Sri Jagannath

Rathayatra Mahotsav.

 

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Despite apprehension due to Hindu/Muslim violence throughout Gujarat earlier

this year, the 21st annual ISKCON Baroda Jagannath Rathayatra Mahotsav went

off without incident.

 

The Rathayatra covers a regular route of about 9 kilometers (6 miles) in

about 5 hours. As usual, thousands of citizens lined the route and waited

eagerly and expectantly for darshan of Lord Jagannath, Baladev &

Subhadradevi and the Rathyatra procession.

 

This years, as usual, many full time and congregational devotees came to

take part in Rathayatra from various places - both near and far.

 

Around 50 devotees came from Ahmedabad, 100 from Vallabh Vidyannagar,

Balabhadra das's TSKP, 16 India Padayatra devotees came from Junagadh where

they are camping enroute to Dwaraka. Also there was a group of devotees who

came from Ghaziabad, near New Delhi.

 

H.H. Bhakti Vikas Swami, H.H. Bhakti Vishrambha Madhava Maharaj

(ex-Mahamantra Brahmachari ACBSP), Sriman Mahaman Prabhu, ISKCON Vrindavan

TP also attended the festival.

 

Various political leaders of Baroda from the ruling BJP & the opposition

Congregss party alike joined the Rathayatra.

 

Mayor Smt. Bhartiben Vyas, (BJP), Deputy Mayor Sri Sailesh (Sotta) Mehta

(Samta Party), MLA Sri Dalsukhbhai Prajapati (Congress Party), Member of

Parliament (MP) Smt. Jayaben Thakkar (BJP), Honorable Minister (Gujarat

Government) Sri Bhupendra Lakhawala (BJP), Chairman of the Gujarat

Electricity Board, Sri Nalin Bhatt (BJP), Sri K.K. Shah (BJP), Sri

Sabdasharan Brahmbhatt (Baroda City President of the BJP) and almost all

corporators came to take part in Rathayatra.

 

Also, prominent builder Sri Sureshbhai B. Patel and Industrialist Sri

Shivlal Goyal, staunch supporters of ISKCON Baroda, were with us throughout

Rathayatra.

 

At Kothi Char rasta, the Rathayatra was welcomed by the District

Collector/Magistrate, Sri Bhagesh Jha. Also Life Member Sri Narayanbhai

Shah, Nagar Pramukh (City Leader) of the RSS and Sri Dusyanbhai Pandya were

joined in Rathayatra from that spot, where the Collectors Office is located.

 

Those are the devotees by whose help Rathayatra done:

 

Sriman Shyamchandra Prabhu and Sriman Bhakta Ravikant and his wife Smt.

Shyamapriya devi arranged for Prasadam distribution. Approximately 12 tons

of Halava ("shira" in Gujarati) was distributed from trucks following the

Rath cart throughout the procession. Another 2 tons of prasad was

distributed at the temple following the procession.

 

Sriman Pusta Krishna Prabhu (Sri Naresh Asnani) and Sriman Vijay Krishna

Prabhu handled the media. There were numerous articles in local newspapers

for 3 days before Rathayatra.

 

Sriman Nityananda Ram Das co-ordinated the entire effort in the absence of

Temple President Basu Ghosh Das (Text PAMHO:5773506)

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