'Meri Dhadkane Badh Rahi Hai': Mumbai-Based Devotee Shares Heartfelt Experience Of Witnessing Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra For First Time; Video

The much-awaited event, Jagannath Rath Yatra, which attracts thousands of devotees from across the country and the world, started earlier on Friday. Several devotees joined the grand procession chanting the holy names of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Baladev and Subhadra.

The internet is full of videos from the festival, with devotees narrating their experiences and singing in pure joy.

Pooja Anand, who has been a devotee for the last 20 years, described Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra as an out-of-the world experience.

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Speaking to news agency ANI, she shared that she is from Mumbai and it is her first time of participating in the grand procession from the Sri Mandir to the Gundicha Temple.

"Yaha pe poora aisa lag raha hai ki Bhagwan ki kripa baras rahi hai. Meri dhakane rukh jayengi aur ye din ka mujhe kayi saalon se wait tha. Aaj first time mein aayi hu aur meri dhadkane badh rahi hai (It feels as if divine blessings are showering here. My heartbeat feels like it might stop, and I’ve been waiting for this day for many years. Today is my first visit, and my heart is racing)," Pooja said.

She expressed her desire to touch and pull the Rath (chariot) during her visit to the celebration. She also urged others to join the festivities and seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath and his dear siblings.

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In another video, a devotee from Bangladesh, Raghav, narrated his experience of witnessing the Rath Yatra in Puri. "This is a chance to revive our love for Lord Krishna by attending this festival and pulling the chariots," he said.

"We are really happy that today we will take darshan of Lord Jagannath. This is our first time here. I feel completely happy. It is a dream come true to take darshan and share our devotion with the others here," added Madvi Devi Dasi, a female devotee of Ecuadorian origin who attended Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha.