{"id":1091,"date":"2019-07-10T15:18:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-10T09:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discoverursupersoul.com\/?p=1091"},"modified":"2019-07-10T15:18:29","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T09:48:29","slug":"48th-kolkata-rath-yatra-bridges-religious-divide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minivetsystem.com\/iskcon\/48th-kolkata-rath-yatra-bridges-religious-divide\/","title":{"rendered":"48th Kolkata Rath Yatra bridges religious divide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Little Abhay had tears in his eyes because his father could\nnot afford the small Rath Yatra cart which Abhay was so eager to buy.  Abhay loved Rath Yatra festival and so he\nwanted to perform his own Rath Yatra. \nBut it seemed his plans won\u2019t materialize. An old Bengali lady saw Abhay\ncrying and when she came to know why he was crying she showed Abhay and his\nfather an old  cart which was cheap and\ngood enough to serve the purpose. Abhay was delighted. He along with his\nplaymates, family members and neighbours nicely decorated the cart, put Lord\nJagannath on it and celebrated the Rath Yatra festival at his home in\nKolkata.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one would have imagined that the same little Abhay, who\nlater came to be known as Srila Prabhupada all over the world, after several\nyears will lay the foundation of a mammoth Rath Yatra festival in the city of\nKolkata.  Iskcon Kolkata celebrated its\nfirst Rath Yatra festival in 1972 and this year it was the 48th<\/sup> Rath\nYatra festival.  Since beginning the\nfestival has caught the imagination of thousands of people of Kolkata. In the\nyear 1972 the residents of Kolkata were mesmerized to see white American and\nEuropean devotees dressed in dhoti and kurta singing and dancing during the\nRath Yatra procession. And since then every year the festival has grown in size\nand its reach. Today not just the local Bengali people participate but people\nfrom different cities of India and even outside India come for the\nfestival.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/kolkata\/iskcon-uses-rathayatra-festival-to-spread-message-of-unity\/articleshow\/70135198.cms<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This year the festival caught the attention of entire nation\nand was widely covered in print and electronic media when Iskcon decided to\ninvite Nusrat Jahan Ruhi Jain, a newly elected Member of Parliament to Lok\nSabha, as one of the guests for Rath Yatra inauguration along with Mamata\nBanerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, who was the chief Guest.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nusrat Jahan, Muslim by birth, had won appreciation when she\nwore a vermillion (sindoor), and mangalasutra ( sacred necklace which married\nHindu women wears) while taking oath in Parliament.  While majority of people appreciated her for\nher inclusive approach but she also invited the wrath of few hardline Muslim\nclerics whom she ignored.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanking Iskcon for giving the opportunity to participate in\nRath Yatra, she said, \u201cI will pray to Lord Jagannath for the\nwell-being of all the people of West Bengal. I wish everyone comes together to\npull the lord’s chariot,”  https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/kolkata\/tmc-mp-nusrat-jahan-attends-iskcon-rath-yatra-calls-for-unity\/articleshow\/70071315.cms<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Its an honour Sir.. #unity<\/a> #secularIndia<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/G1mrWBcnz4<\/a><\/p>— Nussrat Jahan (@nusratchirps) July 4, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>