Sylhet Bureau :
The 200-year-old traditional Rath Yatra festival was held in a festive atmosphere in Sylhet on Friday (June 27),
the Rath Yatra of Sri Sri Jagannath Dev, Bala Dev and Subhadra Maharani was celebrated in a colorful manner with the participation of 25 temples and akhras of Sylhet at the Rikabibazar Rath Yatra premises in the city.
Like every year, this year too, Rikabibazar turned into a festive city centered around the Rath Yatra. A 9-day traditional fair was held on the occasion of the Rath Yatra. The fair featured stalls of various handicrafts and folk products of rural Bengal.
The main event was the worship of Jagannath Dev, Bala Dev and Subhadra, Aarti, Harinam Sankirtan, Mahaprasad distribution, Harilut and devotional music performances. The festival venue was transformed into a unique gathering of devotion, joy and celebration.
The festival was completed smoothly under the supervision of the organizing Sylhet Devalaya Rath Yatra Celebration Committee and with the joint cooperation of the Sylhet District Administration, City Corporation and Police Administration. The Rath Yatra premises were filled with the spontaneous participation of thousands of men, women, children and the elderly from different parts of the city.
Punima Devi, a devotee who came to the Rikabibazar Rath Yatra, said that her only wish from Lord Jagannath is that he should bless everyone in the world and keep us all well and healthy.
Another devotee, Palash Chakraborty, said, “This Rath Yatra is a 200-year-old tradition. We ask Lord Jagannath to bring peace to the world and to end the unrest that has started all over the world.”
Strict measures have been taken by the administration to ensure security. A police security cordon surrounds the path of the devotees while each Rath Yatra is being brought to and from the temple.
To ensure the successful completion of the Rath Yatra, several opinion-sharing meetings were held in advance at the initiative of the District Administrator, Police Commissioner and City Corporation. Representatives of various political, social and religious organizations and top officials of law enforcement agencies were present in the meetings.
This year, Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Jiur Akhara (Lama Bazar), Sri Sri Jagannath Jiur Akhara (Amberkhana), Sri Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Mandir (Rajbari), ISKCON (Sylhet), Sri Sri Radhakrishna Manipuri Mandir (Shibganj), Sri Sri Jagannath Mandir (Narsingtila) and many other akharas and temples participated in the Rath Yatra.
Organizing committee president L Prashant Singh and general secretary Nripendra Singh said in a joint statement, ‘This festival of the soul of the people of Sylhet should give a message of unity regardless of religion, caste and tribe. Rath Yatra is not just a religious festival, it is now a symbol of the culture and harmony of our Sylhet.’
The reverse Rath Yatra will be held on July 5 (Saturday). That too will be held in the same enthusiasm and religious atmosphere, the organizers hope.
