15k kg prasad to be distributed during Jagannath Yatra

VADODARA: As Jagannath Rath rolls out in the city on Saturday, over 15,000 kilograms of ‘prasad’ will be distributed to the devotees en route. ISKCON Temple authorities said the prasad cooked in ‘desi’ ghee will be distributed from four vehicles that will follow the rath. The grand procession will begin at 2.30 pm from near the railway station amid a sea of devotees.The cavalcade will include 20 vehicles apart from camel carts, horses and buggies.
“Mayor Bharat Shah will inaugurate the procession by sweeping the road in the front of Lord Jagannath chariot. All the local community leaders and politicians will attend the procession along with ISKCON life patron members. There will be about 8,000 invitees,” said Vadodara ISKCON president Basu Ghosh. He added that about 25,000 citizens will be given ‘mahaprasad’ at the ‘bhandara’ to be held at the temple after the completion of the yatra.
The procession will proceed from the railway station and head towards Kamatibaug and reach Kothi Crossroads. It will stop at Raopura where locals will garland Lord Jagannath. The rath will then move towards Jubilee Baug, Sursagar Lake, Dandia Bazaar and take Khanderao Market Road to reach Kevda Baug near Baroda High School Bagikhana.
ISKCON authorities, though, were not happy with the police for denying permission for elephants in the procession. “Elephants are always a part of Jagannath Yatra but in Vadodara police permission has not been granted for them. It is strange,” Ghosh said.
Devotees from several countries will participate in the rath yatra along with the locals. Ghosh said ISKCON Temple in Vadodara will hold year-long celebrations from August to mark the golden jubilee year of ISKCON’s foundation. “We will also organize a ‘shobha yatra’ in August this year,” Ghosh added.