City set to immerse in religious fervour
Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 16
The last minute preparations for the Jagannath Rath Yatra are on, and the devotees are leaving no stone unturned to make the city look magnificent when the rath will pass through it.
A sea of devotees from the city and other parts of the country become a part of the yatra every year. Due to the huge rush, sometimes devotees even fail to get a glimpse of the rath. For the first time, four CCTV cameras will be installed at the rath and live coverage will be telecasted on LCDs installed at a couple of places in the route. This will help devotees watch the rath closely on the screen.
The yatra will cover 4 km in around 12 hours, as the devotees will be dancing and chanting couplets all through the way. The yatra will start from Durga Mata Mandir, near Jagraon Bridge, and will reach Durga Mata Mandir at Sarabha Nagar. It will pass through Ghumar Mandi.
The rath, currently stationed at Cemetery Road, will be moved to the mandir in the morning. The repair work and last touches are being given to the rath from the past two days. A rope weighing 80 kg and 150-metres long will be tied to pull the rath tomorrow.
City resident Meenakshi said she was excited for the rath yatra tomorrow. “I am looking forward to tomorrow when the entire city will be immersed in the colour of Lord Jagannath,” she said.
For some, the pulling factor will be ‘56 bhog’. “I love the prasad which is served during the yatra. My house is in Ghumar Mandi and it will pass from near my house and I will be anxiously waiting to have a look at the rath and relish the bhog served during the yatra,” said Anu, another resident.
