One day ahead of the annual Rath Yatra festival, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday conducted a high-level review meeting at the recently constructed Jagannath Temple in Digha, a seaside tourist resort in Purba Medinipur district.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA), police officers and monks from ISKCON, officials confirmed.
Following the deliberations, the Chief Minister visited the ceremonial chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, which had been stationed in front of the temple in preparation for the religious procession.
A DSDA official stated that Banerjee also walked along the 1km yatra route with police and administrative officials to oversee the arrangements.
“Take this route. It has to be smooth and supportive for the masses,” Banerjee was heard instructing Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar, as she inspected the preparations, accompanied by Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and other dignitaries.
Digha has been fully prepared for the festival. Temple-themed cut-outs, large images of the deities and colourful illuminations designed by artists from Chandernagore adorn the town.
Saffron flags featuring the image of Lord Jagannath and banners bearing messages such as “Welcome to Jagannath Dham” now line the entire 180-km stretch of the national highway from Kolkata to Digha.
Devotional songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are being broadcast continuously across the town via public address systems, enhancing the spiritual atmosphere as thousands of pilgrims continue to arrive.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) acknowledged the spiritual significance of the occasion with a post on X: “The wait is over, the divine darshan begins! On this holy day of Netrotsav, devotees rejoice as the deities appear in all their glory. #JoyJagannath.”
ISKCON Vice-President Radharamn Das disclosed that since the temple’s inauguration on 30 April, approximately 30 lakh individuals have already visited the shrine. He added that lakhs more are expected to take part in the celebrations on Rath Yatra day.
The Chief Minister is also scheduled to participate in the symbolic pulling of the chariot ropes on 27 June, Das said.
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