 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 9: One day prior to the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Jammu, Maha Aarti Utsav of the lord will be held at City Palace, Jammu on April 17 from 5 pm onwards.
In this festival 56 Bhoga (foodstuffs) will be offered to the Lord. This will be followed by Gaur Aarti in which there will be offering of 108 Aarties to Lord Jagannath, Baldeva and Subhadra. Thereafter His Holiness Navayogendra Swami Maharaj will give a discourse with Harinaam Sankirtan. After that Dinner Prasadam will be served to all.
On April 18 Rath Yatra festival will be celebrated. The procession of the Lord will start from Red Cross Bhawan (City Palace) Kacchi Chawni at 12 noon and will pass through Parade, Shalamar, Kanak Mandi, Rajinder Bazar, Shahidi Chowk, Raghunath Mandir, Indira Chowk, Gommat, Vinayak Bazar, Canal Road, Talab Tillo, Bohri and will reach Kashmir Hills Resort, Patta Borhi, Jammu at around 7 pm. Dinner Prasadam will be served to everyone thereafter.
Speaking to media, His Holiness Navayogendra Swami ji Maharaj said that the pulling of Rath (Cart) during the Rath yatra procession by the devotees symbolizes the attempt of the residents of Vrindavan, especially the gopi's, to bring Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra back to Vrindavan from Kurukshetra. Vrindavan is the place where the Lord resides eternally. Lord also resides in every living entity's heart and if one realizes this, then every heart will also become like Vrindavan. Therefore pulling the rope of the Chariot also signifies trying to bring Krishna (The Supreme Lord) back to our heart. |
