Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to visit ‘Mashir-bari’ at the Brigade Parade Ground—where the deities Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are stationed—on Thursday and perform ‘aarati’.
Banerjee, on Wednesday, chaired a high-level administrative meeting at Nabanna to review preparations for the upcoming Ulto Rath Yatra, Shrabani Mela and Muharram. Emphasising the significance of Ulto Rath, she instructed officials to ensure arrangements are on par with those made for the main Rath Yatra.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, various departmental ministers and secretaries, as well as Radharaman Das, a trustee of Digha Jagannath Dham and representative of ISKCON, along with senior police administration officials.
According to Nabanna sources, Banerjee stressed that no lapses should occur during Ulto Rath, and any shortcomings noticed during the Rath Yatra should be addressed.
She has also asked the authorities of Digha Jagannath Dham to explore the possibility of designing and decorating the chariot in the style of Puri’s Rath. After their journey, the deities—Lord Jagannath, Balram, and Subhadra—will not be immediately reinstalled in the temple. Instead, they will remain on the chariot within the temple campus for three more days.
The deities are expected to be reinstalled in the temple on July 8. The meeting also addressed preparations for the Shrabani Mela at Tarakeswar, a major Shiva pilgrimage site, which attracts thousands of devotees from across the state. Banerjee instructed the district and police administrations to stay alert and ensure the event passes off peacefully. She assigned minister Sujit Bose the responsibility of personally overseeing arrangements at the temple premises.
The upcoming observance of Muharram was also discussed with Banerjee, who directed the police and civil administration to remain vigilant to prevent any untoward incidents. Every year, Banerjee inaugurates the Rath Yatra Utsav of ISKCON in Kolkata.
Banerjee will offer ‘aarti’ in Brigade Parade ground to the deities and pray for peace and prosperity.
The return journey, or Ultarathayatra, will be held on Saturday, July 5, starting from Outram Road near Park Street Metro and concluding at the ISKCON temple.