The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Adelaide celebrated its 10th Rath Yatra festival with grandeur and devotion in the heart of Adelaide CBD. This auspicious event, held on Sunday 07th July 2024, resonated deeply with the spiritual sentiments of thousands of attendees.
Rath Yatra, a festival steeped in devotional reverence for Lord Jagannath, has been cherished by Hindus for millennia. It symbolizes prayers for divine guidance and faith, guiding devotees in their spiritual journeys.
The festivities commenced with a traditional Vedic ceremony, followed by the procession of two beautifully adorned chariots. One chariot carried the murtis (divine idols) of Harikrishna Maharaj, Jagannathji, Baldevji, and Subhadraji, while the other bore the murtis of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his disciple Gunatitanand Swami.
Devotees joyously pulled these chariots by hand, accompanied by soulful devotional songs.
The procession spanned 1.2 kilometres from Victoria Square, traversing King William Street, and culminated at Elders Park. The event drew approximately 1200 devotees and well-wishers, including honoured guests such as Mr. John Fulbrook MP – Member for Playford, Cr. Surender Chahal- City of
West Torrens, Cr. Senthil Chidambaranathan-City of Charles Sturt and various esteemed community leaders.
The success of the event was bolstered by the generous support of the Adelaide City Council and South Australia Police, ensuring a seamless and memorable celebration for all.
The Rath Yatra concluded with the traditional Arti (ritual of waving lighted wicks before the deities) and prasad (sacred food offering), leaving participants with cherished memories and renewed spiritual inspiration.
About BAPS
Established in 1907, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a global non-governmental Hindu socio-spiritual organisation in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha reaches out to each individual through its mandirs and centres. These are places of worship and also permanent centres of peace and reformation for people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs. Spread across the world, the BAPS Global Network is composed of more than 1100 mandirs and 3,850 centres. In Australia, BAPS has representative centres (temples) in some of the major cities,
including Canberra, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Under the leadership and guidance of the current president of BAPS, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS is dedicated to the collective spiritual and social progress of society by promoting harmony between
individuals, within families and amongst diverse communities.
