Jagannath temple at Digha to be opened after Durga Puja this year: Mamata
The Statesman | 8 July 2024
The Jagannath temple at Digha will be inaugurated after Durga Puja this year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced today. She pulled the rope of the chariot to mark the beginning of the festival outside the ISKCON temple in south Kolkata. The ISKCON Rath Yatra of entered the 53rd year this year. Miss Banerjee on social media wrote: “Heartiest greeting to everyone today on the auspicious occasion of Ratha Yatra. May this day bring peace, amity and prosperity to all by the grace of Lord Jagannath.
“Today millions of people across Bengal will join the chariot festival. At historic Mahesh( where we have restored the heritage temple),there will be a huge congregation at ISKCON Kolkata. I shall join the Lord’s journey.we shall all await the next year’s Ratha Yatra at out New Jagannath dham at Digha.” After conducting aarati at the ISKON temple Miss Banerjee said: “In Bengal we all observe different festivals that are being held by different communities and religions. Lord Jagannath is so close to our heart. We keep faith on humanism which is the basis of all religion.”
Miss Banerjee who addressed the gathering braving heavy shower said she had an eye surgery recently and will have to protect the eye from water. Thousands of devotees pulled three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Ma Subhadra. A temporary Mashir bari has been set up at the Maidan where the three chariots reached via Sarat Bose Road , Hazra Road,SP Mukherjee Road to reach the destination.
A fair has been organized at Mashir bari where religious discourses, bhajan and kirtan will be held every day. At Balaram Mandir, the monks of Ramakrishna Math and Mission along the devotees pulled the chariot that had been pulled by Sri Ramakrishna in 1884. Swami Balabhadrananda, assistant secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission inaugurated Sri Ramakrishna Ma Sarada temple at Sugandha in Hooghly district. Various kinds of social work will be organised from the temple complex