Mamata flags off Digha’s 1st Rath Yatra in a celebration of devotion & unity

Digha: Amid chants of ‘Joy Jagannath’ echoing through the coastal town of Digha in Midnapore, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday inaugurated the town’s first-ever Rath Yatra, calling it a “profoundly emotional, soul-stirring and awe-inspiring experience”.

Joined by thousands of pilgrims and her Cabinet colleagues, the Chief Minister took part in the sacred ritual, pulling the ropes of the grand chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra –transforming the historic moment into a moving celebration of devotion, tradition and spiritual unity.

The pulling of the three chariots commenced around 2:20 pm, setting off on a 0.75-kilometre journey to ‘Masir Bari’ (maternal aunt’s home) from the Jagannath Dham. The journey was flagged off with traditional rituals like breaking a coconut, sprinkling sandalwood paste and ceremonially sweeping the path with a golden broom.

The celebrations began earlier in the day, at 9 am, at the temple with the offering of ‘56 bhog’ (a spread of 56 delicacies), followed by dry bhog offerings to the idols.

This was followed by the ‘Pahandi Vijay’ ritual, during which the neem wood idols of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra were taken out of the temple in a grand procession.

The Chief Minister reached the temple just before 2 pm, walking approximately 1.5 km from her place of stay. She began the formal proceedings by ceremonially sweeping the chariot area with a golden broom.

‘Aarti’ was performed in front of the chariots while devotional songs dedicated to Lord Jagannath filled the air as the chariots began to move.

“The ropes tied to the barricade are connected to the main strings of the chariots, allowing every common person standing beyond the barricade to feel connected and touch the rope,” Banerjee said, addressing the crowd through a microphone.

During the procession, the chariot of Balaram led the way, followed by Subhadra, with Lord Jagannath’s chariot bringing up the rear. The Chief Minister followed the chariots throughout the journey, occasionally playing a conch shell and interacting warmly with the crowd assembled along the barricaded road.

She was accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, East Midnapore District Magistrate Purnendu Maji and state ministers—Aroop Biswas, Sujit Bose, Pulak Roy, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Indranil Sen and Snehasis Chakraborty—along with ISKCON priests.

The three chariots reached Masir Bari around 3:50 pm. The neem idols were then taken down one by one and placed inside the temple, where they would remain for seven days. They will return to the main Jagannath Dham during Ulta Rath, marking the return journey. The stone idols of the deities will continue to remain in the main temple and will remain open to visitors. Around 40 ISKCON devotees, mostly international, danced for hours in front of the chariots to the devotional chants of ‘Hare Ram, Hare Krishna.” In a post on a social media page, Banerjee said people cutting across different communities, religion, caste and creed have been taking part in Rath Yatra festival across Bengal for years.

“It was a profoundly emotional, soul-stirring, and awe-inspiring experience to be part of the Rath Yatra celebrations at the newly consecrated Jagannath Dham in Digha. The sound of conch shells, the fragrance of incense wafting through the air, and the resonant chants of ‘Joy Jagannath’ created an atmosphere of divine grace and spiritual unity,” she wrote.

She further stated: “As a humble servant of the Lord of the Universe, I swept the streets in a gesture of reverence. With deep devotion in my heart, I offered aarati, seeking blessings for peace and harmony. It was deeply moving to witness Lord Jagannath’s chariot roll forward for the very first time in Digha.”

Extending her gratitude, she wrote: “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the District Administration for the meticulous planning, ensuring the safety and seamless participation of thousands of devotees. I am deeply grateful to our Maa, Mati, Manush whose presence enriched the occasion with love, warmth, and spiritual fervour.” Praying for all, she went on to state: “On this sacred day, I pray to Prabhu Jagannath to bless our land and its people, to fill every life with peace, prosperity, and strength, and to protect us from those who seek to divide, deprive, and oppress.”