Kolkata: Crowd a concern as Raths set to roll out of pandemic shadow after three years

KOLKATA/SERAMPORE: Organizers of the three major raths or chariots in the state - Iskcon in Kolkata, Iskcon in Mayapur and Mahesh in Serampore - expect a record turnout at this year's festival with no restrictions like the past Covid years. Keeping in mind the stampede-like situation near a temple in Panihati during the Danda Mahotsav earlier this month, the administration is putting in place elaborate arrangements in all three places to prevent any untoward incident during Rath and Ulta Rath.
In Kolkata, the Rath Yatra from Gurusaday Road to the Maidan on July 1, its seven-day stay there, and its return on Ulta Rath on July 9, is expected to see a turnout of 20 to 21 lakh people. At Iskcon House on Gurusaday Road, massive ovens are being set up to cook prasad or meals for the devotees who will turn up for darshan. "Devotees have already arrived from the UK, the US, Australia, Russia, Singapore and several countries in Africa," said Iskcon Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das.
In Mayapur, the global headquarters of Iskcon, authorities expect a turnout of 1.5 lakh devotees this year. In Serampore too, Mahesh Jagannath temple authorities expect a few lakhs to turn up for the festival being held with the usual fanfare after three years.
"There is huge enthusiasm this year with devotees expected to arrive from all over the world after two years when the celebration was muted due to Covid," said Iskcon Mayapur spokesperson Subroto Biswas. The last Rath Yatra to be celebrated on this scale was three years ago in July 2019.
One of the grand wheels of Taladwaj, the chariot of Jagannath's elder brother Balaram, will be the highlight of this year's Iskcon Mayapur Rath Yatra. The wheel will be placed for darshan at the Srila Prabhupada Samadhi where the Gundicha temple of Jagannath is being built.
According to co-director Braja Vilas Das, devotees from 95 countries, including Italy, Korea, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Russia, France, Germany, the US and China will participate in the celebrations. During the nine-day stay at Gundicha temple, Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra will be offered Chhappan Bhog, consisting of 56 food items including traditional Bengali dishes like posto, saag, bhaja, pulao and luchi to continental dishes like pasta, pizza, macaroni, cakes and burgers.
This is the 626th year of Mahesh Rath. The festival was held in a muted manner in the last two years and people were not allowed to pull the chariot. "This year will be very special, coming after two unprecedented years when people could not participate in the festival," said Mahesh Jagannath temple secretary Piyal Adhikari.
Apart from Bengal, the rath draws devotees from the neighbouring states of Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar.