Under the inspiration of Srila Lokanath Swami Maharaj, the beloved disciple of ISKCON Founder-Acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, and under the guidance of ISKCON Nagpur President Saccidananda Prabhu and Vice President Hari Kirtan Prabhu, the sacred Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Subhadra Maharani was celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm at the Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple, Gate No. 2, behind Empress Mall, Gandhi Sagar, Nagpur.
The chief guests for the occasion were Krishna Bhakta Prabhu and and Ananta Shesha Prabhu. Regional Secretary Assistant of ISKCON Maharashtra, The program was hosted by Prananatha Prabhu. The ceremony began with the chief guests performing the sacred Jalabhisheka (ceremonial bathing) of Lord Jagannath, after which the assembled devotees also had the opportunity to perform the abhisheka and receive the Lord’s divine darshan.
The temple hall was filled to capacity with devotees, while a large number of worshippers also gathered in the temple courtyard to participate in the celebrations. On this occasion, Ananta Shesha Prabhu delivered an inspiring one-hour discourse on the spiritual significance of Snana Yatra and the divine pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Temple Management Committee member Venugopal Prabhu provided detailed information about the Jagannath Ratha Yatra scheduled for July 18, 2026. He announced that the procession will commence at 12:00 noon from Poddareshwar Ram Mandir (Mayo Hospital Square) and proceed through Agrasen Bhavan Chowk, Gandhibagh, Nanga Putla (Vallabhacharya Chowk), Sarafa Chowk, Gandhi Putla Chowk, Badkas Chowk (Pandit Bachhraj Vyas Chowk), Mahal Chowk, Gandhi Gate, Thadeshwari Ram Mandir, Agyaram Devi Chowk, and Cotton Market Chowk before returning to the ISKCON Temple. He appealed to the citizens of Nagpur to participate in this grand festival along with their families and receive the blessings of Lord Jagannath.
ISKCON Nagpur spokesperson Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma informed that following the Snana Yatra, under the leadership of Narahari Thakur, Head of the Deity Worship Department, the devotees beautifully adorned Lord Jagannath in the special Gaja Vesha (Gajanan Vesha). In this extraordinary decoration, the Lord’s lotus face was artistically decorated to resemble the face of an elephant. The unique and divine form deeply moved the devotees, who were overwhelmed with devotional ecstasy upon beholding the Lord.
The successful organization of the festival was made possible through the valuable guidance and support of Temple Management Committee members Prananatha Das, Vishal Das, Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma, Sadhana Bhakti Devi Dasi, Venugopal Das, Brajendratanaya Das, Paramakaruna Das, Shri Pandharinath Das, and Aradhya Bhagavan Das.
Additionally, under the leadership of Temple Commander Pavan Narasimha Das, Yugalanama Nishtha Das, Kaushalendra Ram Prabhu, Nitya Kishora Krishna Das, Amogha Lila Das, Nagpure Prabhu, Prathamesh Prabhu, Hritik Prabhu, Hemant Prabhu, Amit Prabhu, Ritesh Prabhu, and many other devotees rendered dedicated service, making the event grand and highly successful.
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