RINL CMD takes part in Rath Yatra

Visakhapatnam: Chairman cum Managing Director of RINL-VSP P Raychaudhury donning the costumes of king and accompanied by Ratna Raychaudhury performed ‘Chherapanhara’, the sweeping of the chariot with colden broom, as part Lord Jagannath Ratha Yatra (Car Festival) here on Saturday.

Ratha Yatra, the most auspicious festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra was celebrated with fanfare and gaiety amidst ‘chanting of ‘Jai Jagannath’ by the devotees and to the accompaniment of music from mridang, cymbals and conches at Ukkunagaram.

A large number of devotees pulled the chariot along the streets of Ukkunagaram (The township of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant). Bhajans and dance troupes performed along the Lord’s yatra route.

P C Mohapatra, Director (Projects), KC Das, Director (Personnel), VV Venugopal Rao, Director (Finance) and PK Rath, Director (Operations), along with their family members offered prayers to Lord Jagannath.

In the evening, colourful cultural programmes were organised to mark the festival in the township by Nartaki Group from Odisha. Earlier, the dignitaries opened handloom and handicrafts exhibition on the occasion.

The festival is a mixture of spiritual, cultural and social activities culminating with Samaradhana on July 24.