Vrindavan, 2016.04.01: Bhagwan Rangnath gave darshan to his devotees on the grand chariot on Friday. Riding on the 60 foot high chariot made of sandalwood, the Lord went to the ‘Bare Bagicha’, the sprawling garden situated at a distance of 500 meters from the temple. The devotees who gathered outside the temple at as early as 7 a.m. pulled the chariot with the thick ropes. It is believed that those who pull the rath become liberated from all the sins.
Thakur Shri Goda Rangmannar mounted on the ‘rath’ around 8.00 a.m amid the vedic chants performed by dozens of priests who came from South India. The images of Vaikuntha’s gatemen Jaya Vijaya, Singha Shardul and the demi-gods are carved on the grand chariot. The rath has four wooden horses, but was in fact pulled by the ecstatic devotees, who were shouting the slogans of Rangnath Maharaj ki jay. The rath followed the decorated horses, camels and elephant.
The Rath reached the Bare Bagicha around 10 a.m where devotees coming from the distant villages of Vraja had the darshan of their Lord. The chariot returned back to the temple at 4 p.m, where the colorful fountains were running to welcome the Lord back home from His sprawling garden.
The procession of the Rath is taken out on the middle of the ten days long Brahmotsava. During this festival Thakur Shri Goda Rangmannar comes out of the temple twice in a day, mounting on different vehicles made of gold, silver and sandalwood. The Lord visits His sprawling garden twice a day, which is situated at a distance of 500 meters from the temple.
The festival of chariot in Vrindavan reminds many the ‘Rath Yatra’ of Puri. The festival is locally known as Rath ka mela, which is being organized since the inception of the temple 150 years back.
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