Massive Crowds in Patna Pull Lord Jagannath’s Chariot Amidst Chants of “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna” and Flower Showers

Patna: The ISKCON temple in Patna hosted a grand Rath Yatra procession for Lord Shri Jagannath, drawing an impressive crowd of approximately 250,000 devotees. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha inaugurated the event by performing aarti and ceremonially sweeping the road. Throughout the procession, devotees enthusiastically chanted “Hare Ram, Hare Krishna” and “Jai Jagannath.”

Lord Jagannath, accompanied by his brother and sister, was seated on a specially designed chariot, standing 40 feet high and equipped with a hydraulic system. The deity was greeted with aarti and showers of flowers at various points along the Rath Yatra route.

The procession commenced at Tara Mandal and made its way through Vidyut Bhavan, Patna High Court, Bihar Museum, Patna Women’s College, Buddha Marg, Income Tax Golambar, Kotwali, Dak Bangla Chauraha, and Maurya Lok, finally reaching the ISKCON temple. Following the procession, a communal feast (Bhandara) was organized for the devotees.

The Rath Yatra necessitated significant traffic adjustments in Patna. Thirty minutes prior to the procession, the traffic systems at Buddha Marg and GPO Golambar were altered, halting movement above and below the GPO flyover. Vehicles were rerouted towards R Block, and traffic on Bailey Road was also disrupted, with vehicles being directed to alternate routes.

To ensure smooth proceedings, extensive security measures were implemented. City SP Madhya Chandra Prakash confirmed the deployment of over 100 personnel, including jawans and officers, to manage security and traffic arrangements.