Raipur, 12 July 2021. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on the occasion of Rath Dooj, duly worshiped Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Mata Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra ji at his residence office with chanting and conch sound. Wishing everyone happiness, prosperity and healthy life from Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Greetings and best wishes for the Rath Yatra festival.
Chief Minister Shri Baghel visited the Jagannath temple located in Gayatri Nagar, visited Mahaprabhu Jagannath and participated in the Rath Yatra festival. Chief Minister Shri Baghel in his speech on the occasion said that Lord Jagannath is equally associated with the culture of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. This festival of Rath-Dooj is an integral part of the culture of Chhattisgarh like Odisha. The tradition of taking out the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath on this day in the cities of Chhattisgarh is going on for centuries. This partnership between the Utkal culture and the culture of Dakshin Kosala is unbreakable. It is believed that the original place of Lord Jagannath is Shivrinarayan-tirtha of Chhattisgarh. From here he went to Jagannathpuri and established himself. In Shivrinarayan itself, in Treta Yuga, Lord Shri Ram had accepted the sweet berries of Mata Shabri. Presently the temple of Nar-Narayan is established here. There has been Triveni Sangam in Shivrinarayan since the golden age. Where Mahanadi, Shivnath and Jonk rivers meet. In order to develop the places related to the exile period of Lord Ram in Chhattisgarh as tourism-pilgrimage, the government has planned the development of Ram-Van-Gaman-circuit. Shivrinarayan is also included in this scheme. The development and beautification of Shivrinarayan will further deepen the cultural partnership of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Shri Baghel said that Devbhog is also an important area associated with Lord Jagannath in Chhattisgarh. Lord Jagannath was established by going to Puri from Shivrinarayan, even then rice for his enjoyment continued to be sent from Devbhog. The glory of Lord Jagannath is contained in the name of Devbhog.
He said that the history of Bastar is also inextricably linked with Lord Jagannath. In 1408, King Purushottamdev of Bastar went to Puri to get blessings from Lord Jagannath. In memory of him, the festival of Rath Yatra is celebrated in the form of Goncha-Parva. The fame of this festival is all over the world. Answer- Lord Jagannath is also seated in Podi village of Korea district in Chhattisgarh. There too there is a very old tradition of worshiping him.
Like Odisha, in Chhattisgarh too, prasad of gram and moong is taken as Prasad of Lord Jagannath. It is believed that this offering leads to a healthy life. Just as the Mahanadi originating from Chhattisgarh gives life equally to both Odisha and Chhattisgarh, similarly the blessings of Lord Jagannath have been equally available to both the states. Chief Minister Shri Baghel said that this time is a difficult time for the whole world. The Corona pandemic has caused great pain to all of us. We have lost a lot during the first and second wave of Corona. The crisis is still not over. Experts are warning that a third wave may also come. Pray to Lord Jagannath to rescue us from this crisis. May they protect us all from this pandemic. He appealed to the people to follow the rules of all masks, social distancing and sanitization while enjoying the Rath-Yatra festival. You yourself only by following the rules, And keep your family safe. Those who have not yet got the corona vaccine, they should get the vaccine as soon as possible.
On this occasion, Forest Minister Mr. Mohammad Akbar, Industries Minister Mr. Kawasi Lakhma, Food Minister Mr. Amarjit Bhagat, Women and Child Development Minister Mrs. Anila Bhendia, Advisor to Chief Minister Mr. Pradeep Sharma, Chief Secretary Mr. Amitabh Jain, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Mr. Ajay Singh. , Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Subrata Sahu was present at the Chief Minister’s residence.
Along with this, Mayor of Raipur Municipal Corporation Mr. Ejaz Dhebar, President of Chhattisgarh Home Construction Board Mr. Kuldeep Juneja, Director of Gayatri Temple Mr. Purandar Mishra and public representatives were connected with Jagannath Temple Gayatri Nagar, Raipur through virtual medium.
