Special Correspondent
Silchar, July 18: Ratha Yatra across Barak Valley was celebrated with all solemnity and sublimity. Along with ISKCON, well decorated chariots with the deities of Jaganth, Balarama and Subhadra were brought out from Radha Madhab Akhra, Gouriya Math, Shyam Sundar Mandir, rsing Akhra, Gopal Akhra, Mahaprabhu Akhra, Gour Nitai Ashram, Malugram Shivbari, Itkhola Kalibari and Bishnupriya Manipuri Temple of Bhagatpur among others. The chariots with the deities criss–crossing the streets of the town drew huge crowds around them. It was a colourful chariot–festival that had all the semblance of serenity and sanctity. After a week, the chariots again are back to their sanctum sanctorium. What is exceptiol about ISKCON Ratha is that the chariot with the deities is back again same day to the temple as the followers of this cult of Lord Jaganth do not believe in the existence of any aunt or Mausi Maa. The chariots brought out from other temples make their return journey after 9 days of halt at the house of aunt or Mausi Maa. It is worth mentioning that the festival commemorates Lord Jaganth’s annual visit to Gundicha Temple via aunt’s home or Mausi Maa Temple which is near Balagandi Chaka in Puri.
Before the Ratha Yatra precession began, Sushmita Dev, MP Silchar, cleansed the road ahead with golden broomstick. On the forefront of the procession were present S Viswathan, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, M K Das, ADC, and Niharendra rayan Thakur, Municipal Board Chairman. On the chariot stood Sushmita Dev, MP, Congress, and Rajdeep Roy, BJP State General Secretary, along with others.
A Ratha Yatra is a Hindu festival that involves transporting deities on a chariot (called a ratha). During the round trips, the chariot drawn by devotees in turns offer their prayers for seeking the blessings of the deities for their own well being and of the people in general. A remarkable feature of the mobile-festival is the distribution of fruits offered to the deities among the people thronging to have a darshan of the Gods and Goddess.
Despite rains and inclement weather, devotees and general people, male and female, young and old and even mothers with babies in their arms could be seen on the streets to have a darshan and share the prasad thrown from the chariots. What added to the sublime milieu was the rendering of devotiol songs blared through microphones befitting the holy festival.
Looking at the turn out and the participation of a number of holy shrines, it appears that the festival has become an index of the attraction of people for the Ratha Yatra. And every year the crowd is seen swelling, perhaps to get the blessings and also relief from their everyday agonies and pains. Better to say, large turnouts in one sense is no doubt a positive aspect of man, upset by the vexed and complicated life.