June 30, 2014
WB CM inaugurates ISKCON Rath Yatra
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. MamataBanerjee Sunday inaugurated the Rath Yatra today at Brigade Parade Ground byperforming the Maha Aarti. International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON) prganise the 43rd Rath Yatra this year.
“This year, we have decided to highlightthe life and teachings of Bhaktivinod Thakur and his glorious struggle forKrishna Bhakti who died on 23 June in 1914,” said a senior monk of the ISKCON.
Bhaktivinod Thakur was a noted judge ofKrishnanagar court and a social reformer who later became a disciple of ISKCON.
Around 50 students from IIT Kharagpur andreligious scholars from abroad delivered lectures on life and ideologies ofKedarnath Datta who later became Bhaktivinod Thakur. Around 10,000 students from75 schools assembled at the Brigade Parade Ground.
The Rath Yatra started from Park CircusMaidan and ended at Outram Road. The yatra went via CIT Road, Moulalicrossing, S N Banerjee Road and J L Nehru Road, braving the rains
There was a dance performance bydevotees from Russia and other western countries in front of the chariots atthe Park Circus Maidan. Later prasad was distributed at Brigade Paradeground. Ultarathayatra will start on 7 July from Brigade Parade Ground toAlbert Road.
