Kolkata: First Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath on Friday was celebrated in Digha in East Midnapore in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Taking part in the ritual, Mamata swept the chariots with a golden broom and she also held the ‘Aarti’ before the chariots started rolling.
Just like Puri, at first the chariot of Lord Balabhadra (Taladhwaja), then the chariot of Goddess Subhadra (Darpadalana) and at the end the chariot of Lord Jagannath (Nandighosha) started rolling.
The chariots were stopped at frequent intervals so that every devotee could see the Lord and pay homage to the ‘Trinity’.
Experts who can pull the chariots were also kept in the procession so that no untoward incidents take place while the chariots move.
Notably, constructed over 20 acres, the state government had spent Rs. 250 crores in building 12 century Shree Jagannath temple Puri like temple in Digha and she had inaugurated the same on April 30.
Two types of idols of the Trinity are made in Digha Jagannath temple. One is carved out of marble while the other one is made out of wood of neem tree. While the idols carved out of marble remained inside the temple, the wooden idols were taken out and placed inside the chariots.
Ever since the inauguration of the temple, politics started as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the temple was built in keeping with the 2026 Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also took part in Rath Yatra festival in Kolkata.
