Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019 Begins; PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah, President Kovind Extend Wishes
The world famous chariot festival or Rath Yatra dedicated to Lord Jagannath, brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. The Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra takes place every year and it's a 15-day long festival which is celebrated with great zeal and gaiety.
Puri, July 4: Scores of devotees thronged at the Lord Jagannath temple in Odisha for the annual Rath Yatra which is slated to begin today at Puri. The world famous chariot festival or Rath Yatra dedicated to Lord Jagannath, brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. The Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra takes place every year and it's a 15-day long festival which is celebrated with great zeal and gaiety. Puri Rath Yatra 2019 Date: Time and Route of the Annual Procession Dedicated to Lord Jagannath in Odisha.
On this auspicious day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu greeted the nation and extended his wishes on the special occasion of the Rath Yatra. "Best wishes to everyone on the special occasion of the Rath Yatra. We pray to Lord Jagannath and seek his blessings for the good health, happiness and prosperity of everyone. Jai Jagannath", PM Modi tweeted.
Here's the tweet:
In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind hoped that the blessings of Lord Jagannath will bring peace, happiness and prosperity to everyone's lives.
Meanwhile, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said Lord Jagannath is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and the Rath Yatra of Odisha witness the coming together of the entire community in celebration of the grace and divinity of Lord Jagannath.
Lakhs of devotees converge at Jagannath Temple to witness Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra riding three giant wooden chariots . These chariots are pulled by devotees as they travel to Gundicha temple.
Watch Video: All You Need to Know About the Puri Rath Yatra 2019
On the special day, famous sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid a beautiful tribute to the Lord, his brother and sister. The Jagannath Rath Yatra, also known as Rathajatra or Rathayatra or Chariot festival, is held on Ashadha Sukla Dwitiya, the 2nd day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha (June- July) every year.
This year, Odisha is expecting around 2 lakh devotees to visit the temple city during the weeklong festival, which is over 30 percent more than last year. In Gujarat, the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath began on Thursday morning in Ahmedabad. Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with his family members participated in the Mangla Arti this morning.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2019 09:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).