Iskcon Baroda's 21st Annual Sri Jagannath Rathayatra

July 11, 2003

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