Pre-pandemic frenzy back as Ranchiites hit the streets

Ranchi: The familiar sight of pre-pandemic frenzy returned in the state as thousands of devotees took part in the annual Rath Yatra celebrations held in different parts of the state on Tuesday.
Chief minister Hemant Soren, governor C P Radhakrishnan pulled the chariot which carried Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from the foot of Jagannath Temple to Mausi Bari, a kilometre away.
Decked in dhoti and angavastram, Soren and Radhakrishnan arrived separately and offered prayers to the deities under the stewardship of the temple’s chief priest. “I consider myself fortunate to get an opportunity to attend the yatra and seek blessings of Lord Jagannath,” Soren told reporters at the venue.
Besides Soren and Radhakrishnan, several public representatives, including Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth, former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai, Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal, Khijri MLA Rajesh Kachhap, state Congress president Rajesh Thakur also took part in the celebrations.
Ranchi police deployed a large battery of security personnel at the venue to manage the overwhelming crowd and ensure law and order. Earlier in the day, the temple priests performed a special puja before carrying the deities to the chariot. The beginning of the yatra was marked by another round of special puja in which 108 priests took part.
The commencement of the yatra also marked the opening of the 10-day-long Jagannathpur fair which will conclude after Lord Jagannath’s return journey to the temple on June 29, the temple trust said.
Thousands take part in chariot festival in Bokaro
In Bokaro, thousands took part in the procession, which commenced from Jagannath Temple in Sector IV and concluded at Ram Mandir in Sector-I. Men, women, children, and the elderly filled the streets, offering prayers to the divine deities.
The air resonated with chants of "hari bol" and "Jai Jagannath". Prior to the start of the Rath Yatra, the symbolic ritual of "chhera-panhara," was performed using a broom to clean the chariot at Jagannath Temple. Throughout the route, social organisations and puja committees set up sharbat and drinking water stalls, providing refreshments to the devotees.