America’s Rhodes Island Hosts Rathayatra in Grandeur

Rhodes Island (Odisha Tazanews) U.S.A :- U.S.A’s Rhodes Island State celebrated the Ninth Car Festival of Lord Jagannath with much pomp and massive fanfare. The abode of the Lord of the Universe at Sri Siddhi Vinayak Temple at Warwick, was elegantly decorated befitting to the Grand Occasion.

In early morning special religious rituals like Mangala Arati and homo were performed in front of the Four Deities by the priest Chandra Sekhar. At about 11.30 a.m. the Idols were taken in Dhadi Pahandi procession by the servitors and spectators to the colourfully decorated newly built chariot parked in front of the Temple.

Floral ornamentation of Deities and Chariot were immaculately done by Rajashree Panda, Sudeepa Nayak, Shradha Nayak and Ranjeetha Parida. The whole atmosphere got reverberated with the chanting of hymns, roaring of slogans like Hari Bol and Jai Jagannath, blowing of conch and playing of musical instruments such as Ghanta, Mardala, Jhanja and Mrudanga.

The splendid scene of Goddess Subhadra being carried in a swinging mode to the Chariot by exclusively ladies was momentous and memorable. Unprecedented enthusiasm and excitement were visible among the hundreds of Odia and Non Odia devotees gathered here along with their friends, family and relatives.

People from far flung places like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts also descended at the Festival site in large numbers to take part in chariot pulling ceremony. Chairman of Sri Siddhi Vinayak Mandir Nagesh Kamsani conducted the traditional service of sweeping in front of the chariot called Chhera Pahanra. With the rendering of Bhajans, Jananas and Kirtans, the Ghosha Yatra commenced at 1.00 p.m. The Chariot was pulled till 1 Km in the outskirt of the Sri Siddhi Vinayak Mandir compound and then taken back to the premises of the Temple.

The auspicious sight of the Four Deities on board the majestic Chariot during their royal sojourn on the streets of Warwick was just miraculous and mesmerising. After coming back from the Yatra, the Deities were offered delicious Prasad prepared in the same manner of Ananda Bazar at Puri, which was later parcated by the devotees gathered.

The special attraction of this year’s Rathayatra was a spectacular Cultural extravaganza, which include soul soothing Bhajans recitals by Sunny Mishra and Prangya Behera, scintillating Odissi dance performances by Anayra Panda and Akankshya Pattnaik, outstanding presentation of Kathak Dance by Sukriti Gupta and heart wrenching rendition of Live Odia Jananas by Akankshya Pattnaik in front of the Chariot.

The cultural session was ably coordinated and moderated by Soumyashree Dash. The entire arrangements of Rathayatra were well organized and smoothly conducted with the able and active stewardship of World Odisha Society’s International Co-ordinator Akshay Mohanty with the support of a skilled organising team consisting of

Pankaj Panda, Babita Mohanty, Munmun Das, Mani Mahapatra, Subhransu Mohanty, Simmy Mahapatra, Saroj Behera, Saurabh Mishra, Soumyashree Dash, Bishwa Patnaik, Chandra Sekhar Mohanty, Santosh Behera, Lina Patnaik, Sukanta Patra, Kalpana Mohanty, Karuna Meheta, Devasish Panda, Swarupananda Swain, Mousumi Rout, Biraja Dash and Basanti Dash.