Bangalore city turns into a mini Puri

BANGALORE: Sri Jagannath Temple at Kumaraswamy Layout premises on Sunday turned out to be a mini Puri, providing an opportunity for devotees to pull the look alike ‘Jagannatha Ratha’ and do away with sins and return to Krishna's kingdom.Speaking to City Express, Narashima Swamydas, one  of the organisers, said, “Today is a special day for us. It is only on this day Lord Jaganath along with other dieties — Baldev, Sudarshan and Subhadra come out to give their darshan to devotees, and this is the reason the yathra is taken out.”“The Jagannatha Ratha Yatra which forms part of the annual ritual at Puri and is happening today. Similarly all across the world the ISCKON centres will be organising a similar yatra. The centres which cannot organise it today, also conducts it on some other feasible day. The Ratha Yatra here will be moving towards our centre at Girinagar covering about six kms.”Around 500 people from the organisation along with devotees of Krishna were seen enthusiastically chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ and trying to pull the Ratha as best as they could. “According to ancient belief, it is claimed that whoever pulls the rope of the ratha will be rid of all the sins,” said, Swamydas.“Once the yathra reaches Girinagar, the deities will be kept at the ISCKON Bharathi Krupa Choultry. But once the construction of our Sri Jagannath Temple and convention centre here at Kumaraswamy Layout gets over the deities will to brought back,” added Swamydas. Noted astrologer S K Jain, inaugurating the Yathra chanted to the glory of Lord Krishna. He said, “Though we already have few movies on Lord Krishna, I expect one more. Media, particularly movies are an important medium to spread the message of God.”  Others present on the occasion were BJP MLA, Vijaykumar and actress Pooja Gandhi.