Lakhs of people expected to attend Rathyatra at Digha's Jagannath Temple, says ISKCON
Lakhs of people are expected to witness the commencement of the Rathyatra festival on June 27 at the Jagannath Temple in Digha, vice president and spokesperson of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Radharamn Das, said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025).
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 30 this year inaugurated a Jagannath Temple at Digha, a coastal town in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district. The upcoming festivities, set to be the first Rathyatra at the temple in Digha, have therefore emerged as one of the most highly anticipated spiritual events in the State.
'We are expecting a footfall of over 2 lakhs at Digha on the first day of Rathyatra. Around 50 devotees from other countries like Russia, China and Ukraine are also expected to visit,' Mr Das said.
He added that around 30 lakh people have already visited the Jagannath Temple at Digha since its inauguration on April 30.
'This year, the Chief Minister will be present for the inauguration of the Rathyatra Festival at Digha. She will then visit the festivities conducted by ISKCON in Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground on July 3 and perform aarati,' he further said.
He added that the Kolkata Rathyatra Festival would be inaugurated this year by Trinamool Congress MP Subrata Bakshi, in the presence of several celebrities of sociocultural renown.
'Kolkata's Rathyatra, second only to Puri's, draws over 2 million devotees each year. Even in Puri, ISKCON plays a large role in attracting crowds throughout the year. This year, we are anticipating around 23 lakh people across the nine days of the festival in Kolkata,' Mr. Das said.
The organisation on Monday (June 23, 2025) also organised a farewell to commemorate the replacement of the tyres of Jagannath's chariot, with tyres from India's frontline Sukhoi-30 aircraft.
'For the last 48 years, the tyres of the chariot were those of the Boeing 747. Today we are bidding goodbye. This year's chariot will feature brand new Sukhoi tyres,' the ISKCON spokesperson said.
Mr. Das also addressed controversies surrounding the selection of tyres from a fighter jet for the deity's chariot at a time of global conflict, saying that it took the organisation a long period of time to find new tyres, and that 'in the eyes of the Lord, no animosity can prevail even in the time of war.'
He also highlighted that the Kolkata Rathyatra Festival by ISKCON this year would feature a larger-sized pandal at the Brigade Parade Grounds, and would be made as a replica of the renowned Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri, which draws massive crowds each year. Additionally, a website (kolkatarathyatra.live) will be set up to help devotees track the movement of the chariot through the city in real time.
'This year in Kolkata, we are also looking forward to several cultural programmes featuring classical dance performances, plays, and kirtan by award-winning performers. We will also present bhog and prasad at ten places in the city. The deity will be given over 108 items in the bhog,' Mr. Das said.
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