Mamata Banerjee Honors Tradition at Digha's Lord Jagannath Temple Before Rath Yatra

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid a visit to the Lord Jagannath temple in Digha on Thursday, ahead of the Jagannath Rath Yatra slated to commence on June 27. Banerjee highlighted the temple's growing status as a key pilgrimage site, announcing the Rath Yatra will proceed along a 1 km route from 9 am to 4 pm, with the aarti ceremony scheduled for 2.30 pm.

Inaugurated by the Chief Minister herself on April 30, 2025, the Rs 250 crore temple, spread over 20 acres, draws inspiration from Puri's 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple and enshrines the same deities. Simultaneously, the Puri temple town in Odisha is also poised to host its annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, an event steeped in tradition.

The festival witnesses devotees fervently pulling the grand chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple for a week-long stay, following the sacred Snana Purnima bathing ritual. This ceremonial bath, involving 108 pitchers of holy water, acts as a prelude to Puri's renowned Rath Yatra.

(With inputs from agencies.)