25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rath Yatra to be celebrated in Sydney for the 1st time
Bhubaneswar: Rath Yatra will be organised in Sydney, Australia, for the first time this year. The chariot will roll at the Blacktown Showground on June 29.
Currently, the chariot is being built from wood and steel by 10 Odia community members at Cattai.
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The chariot décor has been bought from Pipili, while brass utensils and musical instruments have been ordered from Uttara, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The chariot cover with Pipili appliqué work is 8-ft high with a circumference of 26 ft. It has been made by artisan Mitu Mallick of Pipili. Pipili's colourful vibe will lend beauty to chariot pulling too as 20 flags, two 'alatas', four 'chanduas' and lamp shades will be part of the procession.
The organisers have also placed an order for 200 t-shirts, 100 kurtas and 55 kurtis with another Pipili artisan. All garments will have prints of the face of Lord Jagannath, three chariots and 'Jai Jagannath' slogan. "We have delivered it to a Bhubaneswar contact, who will be sending it to Sydney. The order was placed in Feb," said Mayuri Mohapatra, whose artisans worked on the order.
The rituals will be performed by two Indian priests, including an Odia.
Community members will perform Odissi dance and 'sankirtan' and prepare the 'bhog'. "We are taking care to follow the minutest details of Rath Yatra and teach our children about the festival so they can also organise it in the future," said Sujeet Jena, former president of Orioz (Odia Society of Australia) and one of the organisers.
Besides Odias living in Sydney, other community members from Queensland and Australia Capital Territory will attend. "We will have a wider Indian and Australian community joining the festival. Several local politicians will be invited too," added Jena.
