The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Nagpur has completed all preparations for the grand Jagannath Rath Yatra to be held on July 18. On this occasion, a final coordination meeting of devotees and volunteers was held at the Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple under the guidance of Temple President Saccidananda Prabhu and Vice President Harikirtan Prabhu, during which the complete plan for the Rath Yatra and responsibilities for various services were finalized.
Srila Lokanath Swami Maharaj, the beloved disciple of ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, will arrive at Nagpur Airport today (July 17) at 10:00 a.m. from Delhi. He will grace the grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Her Grace Subhadra Maharani on July 18 with his auspicious presence.
Rath Yatra Coordinator Radharaman Bihari Das informed that on the day of the festival, the Deities will be offered a special ceremonial decoration and Chhappan Bhog (56 food preparations). At 10:00 a.m., the Deities will be taken in a grand procession from the temple to Mayo Hospital Square, where the Rath Yatra will commence at 12:00 noon following the Maha Aarti. The procession will pass through the city’s major routes and conclude at 6:00 p.m. at Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple (ISKCON Nagpur).
Festival Committee Head Vishal Das said that the Rath Yatra route will pass through Mayo Hospital Square, Agrasen Chowk, Gandhibagh, Sarafa Bazaar, Mahal, Gandhi Gate, Thadeshwari Ram Mandir, Agyaram Devi Chowk, Cotton Market, and finally reach the ISKCON Temple. He also informed that a large number of volunteers have been assigned responsibilities in Deity worship, prasadam distribution, crowd management, sound system, and other departments to ensure the successful conduct of the festival.
ISKCON Nagpur spokesperson Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma said that Lord Jagannath comes out of His temple only once a year to bless all devotees and the citizens with His divine darshan. He appealed to everyone to participate in the Rath Yatra and receive the blessings of the Lord through darshan, sankirtan, and mahaprasadam.
The meeting was attended by Vishal Das, Pandharinath Das, Narahari Thakur Das, Sri Balaram Das, Pavan Nrsimha Das, Radharaman Bihari Das, Gopal Lila Das, Nityakishor Krishna Das, Yugalnamanishtha Das, Gauraparshad Das, Dhiraj Agrawal, Nitin Telang, Adishakti Mataji, and many other devotees.
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