Digha gears up for 1st Rath Yatra as Mamata reviews final preparations

Digha: The stage is set for the inaugural Ratha Yatra Festival in Digha on Friday when the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra will be pulled to their Masir Bari (maternal aunt’s home), located approximately 0.75 kilometres from the newly constructed Jagannath Dham.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Dham in Digha around 1:30 pm on Thursday to review the preparations and chaired a meeting to discuss the movement of the chariots and crowd management measures. State ministers Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Pulak Roy, Snehasis Chakraborty, and Sujit Bose were present, along with Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, officials from the Digha Sankarpur Development Authority and Radharaman Das of ISKCON. After the meeting, Banerjee informed the media that the temple will open in the morning, with rituals and offerings starting at 9 am. Devotees will enter and exit through separate routes to prevent overcrowding and ensure smooth movement.

The Lord Jagannath’s idol will be placed on the chariot after 9:30 am and viewing will begin shortly after. The chariot will be positioned the previous night for final preparations.

Banerjee said she would arrive around 2 pm and participate in the aarti between 2 and 2:30 pm. The Rath Yatra will start at 2:30 pm and end around 4 pm. “Barricades are being installed on both sides of the road to avoid any stampede. People can view and even touch the ropes attached to the chariots from behind the barricades. No one will be allowed on the main road to ensure safety,” Banerjee said.

Appealing for public support, she added: “This is our first time hosting the event in Digha. We want both the Rath Yatra and Ulto Rath to be peaceful and successful. Everyone is welcome—we seek your cooperation.” Lord Jagannath’s chariot, ‘Nandighosha’, has 16 wheels, stands 30 feet tall and 22 feet wide, and is adorned in red and yellow with traditional ‘Pattachitra’ artwork from Raghurajpur. A white horse leads the chariot. Subhadra’s chariot, ‘Darpadalana’, is 28.5 feet tall with 12 wheels, painted red and black and led by a pair of orange horses. Balabhadra’s chariot, ‘Taladhwaja’, stands 29 feet high, has 14 wheels, and features green and white colours with a black horse in front.