History of ISKCON Kolkata Rath Yatra AUTHOR:SEVAK PUBLISHED DATE: JUNE 4, 2019

BY  A STAFF REPORTER 

About 100 years back, Srila Prabhupada, Kolkata’s most illustrious saint, had organized the Rath Yatra festival in Kolkata when he was just 6 years old. And 70 years later he again organized this grand festival in Kolkata in 1972. Kolkatans still fondly remember that auspicious day when the Lord of the Universe, Lord Jagannath, descended on the streets of Kolkata along with his elder brother Lord Baladev and sister Subhadra Devi to bestow mercy upon millions of people.

The year was 1972, the day was 12th July, Wednesday and the time was around 2 p.m., when huge chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladev and Subhadra Devi were pulled from ISKCON Kolkata’s Radha Govinda Mandir, 3C Albert Road. The beautifully decorated huge chariot, carrying Lord Jagannath was about 30 ft high and was an exact replica of the ones in Jagannath Puri, Orissa. Just like in Jagannath Puri, where the Mula Vigraha of Jagannath is taken from temple to Gundicha, on similar lines here too the original Jagannath (Mula Vigraha) was taken.




A grand procession followed. People irrespective of their caste and creed, irrespective of their color, men, women and children of all ages were overly excited to pull the rope and be a part in this great journey. No one wanted to miss this opportunity.




The most striking highlight of this event was the presence of Western devotees (mainly from USA and UK) of Lord Krishna, who were enthusiastically participating in this event. Bhavanand Prabhu was melodiously singing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, HH Jayapataka Swami was playing cymbals, HH Achyutananda Swami was playing drums (Mridangam), Narayani Mataji was gently fanning Lord Jagannath and Panchajanya Prabhu was offering arati to Lord Jagannath. All the people were enthusiastically dancing to the heart rendering tune of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.




The chariots passed through Camac Street, Park Street, Chowringee, Chittaranjan Avenue, Mahatma Gandhi Road and finally reached the Radha Govinda Mandir of the Mallick’s Thakurbari at 12 M.G. Road. People had inundated the streets to have a glimpse of this glorious event. The emperor of the entire universe had descended on the streets of Kolkata. Although it seemed unbelievable but it was true, people were reverentially bowing down and were offering obeisances. Throughout the journey people were offering gifts to the Lord. At the crossing of M.G. Road and Chitpur a group of Rajasthani youths offered baskets of fruits and sweets to Lord Jagannath.