ANS: Rath-Yatra’ was celebrated with great fervour and gaiety across Dhanbad and Bokaro amid heightened security on Thursday. The twin districts were drowned in festivities, no untoward incidents were reported.
In Bokaro Steel City the Rath Yatra procession started from Jagannath Temple Sector 5 as thousands of devotees flocked on the route to catch a glimpse of the deity.
BSL, CEO, P K Singh performed the ‘Chhera Panhara’ – a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots of the Trinity on their respective chariots. Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana riding on a chariot travels on an 11kms route across the city, where thousands of devotees are seeking blessings.
“We prayed to Lord Jagannath for peace, prosperity and happiness for the people on the earth. Moving deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana on a chariot is an integral part of our culture,” said a priest of Jagannath Temple, Bokaro.
“The 3 deities, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra are worshipped within the temple, on this festival they are taken to the streets so that everyone can have the fortune to see them,” he said.
The members of the several voluntary organisations including Mahila Samity Bokaro, distributed water, flavored syrup (sherbet) and gram among the devotees.
Director-in-charge Dr. AK Singh, Executive Director (Personnel & Administration) Mukul Prasad, Executive Director (Projects) R Kushwaha, Executive Director (Content Management) V. K. Pandey, Chairman of Bokaro Mahila Samiti Sitar Singh besides other dignitaries and devotees were present on the eve.