By Jagannatha Damodar Das
On July 7th, Surat hosted a Rathayatra that will be remembered for its grandeur and spiritual significance. The day dawned with mild clouds and gentle sunshine, providing a perfect setting for Lord Jagannatha’s divine journey through the city streets.
The atmosphere was charged with spiritual fervor as devotees, and curious onlookers alike thronged the path of the magnificent chariot. Despite the textile markets and shops along the route being closed, devotees tirelessly distributed books to every soul eager for darshan.
The Rathayatra parade was an incredible 1.5 kilometers in length, with several kirtan parties and vibrant images portraying the Lord’s pastimes along the 14 km journey. Lord Jagannath was accompanied by soldiers of Prabhupada’s army, who held books in their hands. Amidst the enthusiastic crowds, the devotees found and gave books to thousands of fortunate souls. In the six hours of dedicated book distribution service, two vans with 15 devotees supplied books for about 150 devotees who shared with the crowd or enthusiastically distributed in the shops and homes along the route.
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