40th Annual Rath Yatra to be held with strict restrictions

This year 40th Annual Rath Yatra will be held with restrictions in Vadodara strictly following the government guidelines. For the first time, the procession will begin in the morning from 9 am on the decided route starting from the railway station and ends at Baroda High School Baggikhana. A curfew will be imposed on the route of Rath Yatra as Lord Jagannath along with brother Balram and sister Subhadra will travel the city with limited people.

Every year the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is organized with great enthusiasm in Vadodara by the ISKCON temple. However, due to the covid epidemic last year the rath yatra was not allowed to move in the city and instead was held inside the temple premises. This year the government gave permission to the Rath Yatra with strict norms.

The procession will move on the traditional route starting from the railway station at 9 am in the morning and will be finished till 11 am. “The decision is taken jointly by the local administration and temple authorities for the Rath Yatra. The procession will be moving on the traditional route without any stoppage and have to be completed in about two hours. All the formalities of RT-PCR and vaccination of people joining us will be completed by Sunday”, said Nityanand Ram Das, Vice President of ISKCON Vadodara.

Vadodara Police Commissioner Dr. Shamsher Singh said that the route is unchanged but in view of the present situation and government guidelines the timing will be in the morning for the Rathyatra. A curfew will be imposed in all the police station that comes under the route of the Rath Yatra. He appealed to everyone to adhere to the government guidelines and stay safe.