Odisha Plus Bureau
The smallest state of USA, Rhode Island, celebrated the Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath for the fifth consecutive year with devotion and gaiety in the premises of the Hindu Temple at Warwick.
The festivities began with the offering of prayers, performance of Homa (Havan) and Mangala Arati before the idols of Lord Balaram, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath in the morning by the main priest, Somnath Shastri. A deep spiritual fervour and devotion filled the air at the temple as traditional puja rituals were performed in precision.
At about 11.30 am, four deities (Lord Sudarshan included) were taken in Pahandi procession to the aesthetically and colourfully decked up 15 feet high chariot. The decoration of the chariot was beautifully and meticulously done by Sourav Mishra, Saroj Behera, Pankaj Panda, Pritam Mishra, Chandra Nayak, Biswa Patnaik, Digvijay Mohapatra and Subhransu Mohanty. Floral ornamentation of the chariot was splendidly done by Shradha Nayak, Pragyana Behera and Ranjitha Behera.
The entire atmosphere reverberated with the chanting of hymns, roaring of slogans like Hari Bol and Jai Jagannath, sound of conch and playing of musical instruments like Ghanta, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga. The conduct of ‘Pahandi Bije’ of Goddess Subhadra exclusively by women devotees was spectacular and mesmerizing.
This year’s Rath Yatra evoked unprecedented enthusiasm and thrill among the devotees who had converged to participate and witness the most sacred sight of the Holy Trinity aboard the chariot.
Apart from devotees from Rhode Island, Odia and non Odias families from far off places like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, numbering around 300, also thronged the venue to witness the once-a-lifetime spectacle. Senior member of the Board of Directors of the Hindu Temple, Mahesh Patel, performed the ceremonial service of sweeping before the chariots, called Chhera Pahanra.
Amid rendering of Kirtans by ISKCON devotees from the Indian Heritage Foundation, the chariot was pulled around the perimeter of the temple compound at around 1 pm before being taken back to the premises of the Temple.
The deities were offered ‘Prasad’ prepared in line with the recipe of ‘Ananda Bazar’ of Puri Jagannath Temple by volunteers like Babita Mohanty, Munmun Das,Bishnu Priya Bal, Tapanwita Routray, Saumyashree Dash, Kalpana Mohanty, Mani Mahapatra and Lina Routray. The delicious Prasad was later distributed among the devotees assembled on the occasion.
Significantly, earlier, there was a forecast by the Metrological Department that the Island state would be hit by rain and thunderstorm activities on the Rath Yatra day. However, by the grace of the Lord of the Universe, miracle happened. The Car festival was performed amid pleasant weather conditions and went off without any hindrance.
The highlight of the ceremony included the offering of a book titled “The Journey of Rhodes Island’s Car Festival” and an article “Unbound Lord Jagannath” written by the main organiser, Akshay Mohanty, at the Lotus Feet of the Lord of the Universe on the chariot.
A colourful cultural jamboree that included scintillating dance performances in Odissi and Bharatnatyam styles and recital of devotional songs dedicated to Lord Jagannath marked the Mega Event. The cultural session was ably coordinated and moderated by Akansha Patnaik and Leezalin Mishra. Distinguished dignitaries who graced the festival included Sadananda Dasa of the Indian Heritage Foundation. The entire programme was well managed and neatly executed by World Odisha Society’s International Co -ordinator Akshay Mohanty and former President of Odisha Society of New England, Debdutta Behera.
Tags: #RathYatra #AmericaRathYatra #OdishaSociety #OdishaSocietyEngland #Odissi #LordJagannath #IndianHeritageFoundation #ISKCONdevotees
