Jagannath Balabhadra Subhadra Mai’s Snan yatra completed
The program started with a tribute to H.H. Roop Raghunath Swami Maharaj
As per the guidance of Srila Loknath Swami Maharaj, the beloved disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the Nagpur Center is organizing the Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 8, 2024.
The Snan (bathing) Yatra of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra Maiyya was completed at the Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple, Gate No. 2, behind Empress Mall, Gandhi Sagar, Nagpur. The program started with a tribute to H.H. Roop Raghunath Swami Maharaj, the sannyasi disciple of Srila Loknath Swami Maharaj. Narhari Thakur Prabhu performed Aarti by garlanding his photo. During the Aarti, Nityananda Chaitanya Prabhu sang a heart-touching Bhajan, “Je Anilo Prem-Dhan Koruna Prasanna, Heno Prabhu Kotha Gela Acharya-Thakur.”
Roop Raghunath Swami Maharaj, born in Argentina, was 82 years old. He made his life meaningful by propagating the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, and Sanatan Dharma in many countries. On the day of Jagannath Ji’s Snan Yatra, immediately after giving a discourse on Bhagwan’s Snan Yatra in ISKCON Bhopal, he entered Golok Dham due to cardiac arrest.
After the Aarti, Vishal Prabhu started singing the kirtan of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare.” As he sang, Lord Sri Jagannath, Baldev, and Subhadra Maiyya entered the temple premises.
Nagpur ISKCON spokesperson Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma provided detailed information and said that the three idols were first anointed by Vrajendra Tanay Prabhu, Narhari Thakur Prabhu, and Shripandharinath Prabhu, marking the beginning of the Snan Yatra festival. Following this, Kalpataru Prabhu, Sudama Prabhu, Bhagirath Prabhu, and many Brahmin-initiated devotees performed the anointing. After that, the hosts and guests anointed the Lord. Prominent among them were Vinayak Mudgal and family, Suryavanshi Ramdas Prabhu, Narendra Boke Prabhu, Prakashji Mohane, Vishal Das, Poorva Mataji, Ravi Kohale, Sandeep Bhoyar, Aishwarya Singh, Pushpa Mataji, Yuvraj Prabhu, Kokila Banerjee, Pallavi Mataji, Priya Mataji, Saroj Mataji, Dilip Prabhu, Milind Prabhu, Paridhi Mataji, Aman Pankaj Prabhu, and others.
Finally, the Vice President of ISKCON Nagpur, Brajendra Tanay Prabhu, informed all the devotees that ISKCON has organized the Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 8 at 12 noon. This Rath Yatra will depart from Poddareshwar Ram Temple and pass through Dosar Vaishya Bhavan Chowk, Geetanjali Chowk, Agrasen Chowk, Gandhibagh, Swami Vallabhacharya Chowk (Nanga Putla), Khule Chowk, New Itwari Road, Gandhi Putla, Bachchraj Vyas Chowk (Badakas Chowk), Chitnavis Park, Tilak Putla, Thadeshwar Ram Temple, Agyaaram Devi Chowk, and will conclude at the ISKCON Temple behind Empress Mall.