Gaiety marks Jagannath Rath Yatra in pilgrim city

Tirupati: Jagannath Rath Yatra, the procession of the deities of Lord Jagannath along with Subhadra and Balabhadra atop flower decked chariot, was conducted amidst religious fervour and gaiety here on Thursday.

The chariot procession, jointly organised by the Odisha Chair of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidya Peetha (RSVP) and International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Tirupati enthralled the public in the pilgrim city.

The Rath Yatra commenced from RSVP where the ceremonial rituals observed on the lines of one in Puri (Odisha) before the start of the chariot procession including Sudhi and sweeping of the road with gold coated broom by RSVP Vice-Chancellor Muralidhar Sarma and others adding more to the spiritual ambience.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that Jagannath cult stresses on equality of all humans and spreads brotherhood in the society. RSVP students, faculty, ISKCON members and public participated in good numbers in pulling the chariot which meandered through the main streets of the pilgrim city including Ramakrishna Circle, Municipal office, Railway Station, Nethaji Road, Prakasam Road, Bhagavan Mahavir Road and Officers' Club before coming to a halt in RSVP campus from where it began.

RSVP Registrar Krishna Murthy, Academic Dean Rani Sadasiva Murthy, Odisha Chair Advisor Radha Govind Tripathi, ISKCON Leela Parayanadas and others were present.