Gwalior: Lord Jagannath's Chariot Festival to be Held Today

Gwalior: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will organize a grand chariot festival of Lord Jagannath today, July 13, at 4 pm from the Jiwaji University campus. The chariot will be decorated with various colours and will be 40 feet high. The idols of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra, and brother Baldev will be placed on the chariot.

This is the third year of the chariot festival, which was started two years ago. The chariot has been designed by artisans from Bengal and will be accompanied by various cultural programs, including rock band performances and traditional folk dances.

The chariot festival will cover a distance of seven kilometres, passing through various areas of the city, including Dal Bazaar, Naya Bazaar, Lohiya Bazaar, Untpul, Daulatganj, Maharaj Bada, and finally reaching Goel Vatika. At Goel Vatika, a grand aarti of Lord Jagannath will be performed, followed by prasad distribution to around 10,000 people.

Several dignitaries, including Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, and Gwalior MP Bharat Singh Kushwah, are expected to attend the festival. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also been invited to the event.

According to Devendra Pratap Singh Tomar, convener of the organizing committee, the Chief Minister will arrive at Maharaj Bada at 6:30 pm to offer prayers to Lord Jagannath.

The festival is expected to attract a large number of devotees from across the city, who will gather to catch a glimpse of the grand chariot and participate in the cultural programs.