Khunti, June 10 (Hindustan Times). The history of the Rath Yatra originating in the old princely state of Chhotanagpur, Jariyagarh, is more than two hundred years old. Even though many decades have passed since the end of Rajpratha, but except for two years of Corona crisis, the Rath Yatra of Jariagarh never stopped.
According to Lal Vijay Nath Shahdev, the Rath Yatra was started in the Jariyagarh royal family by Manjhilal Yogendra Nath Shahdev, the then State Manager of Jariyagarh in the name of Thakur Devendra Nath Shahdev. The chariot was named after Devendra Nath. Devendra Nath Shahdev had four sons. The eldest Thakur was Mahendra Nath Shahdev, the second Virendra Nath Shahdev, the third Jitendra Nath Shahdev and the fourth son was Nagendra Nath Shahdev.
After the death of Devendra Nath Shahdev, being the eldest son, Thakur Mahendra Nath Shahdev became the king of Jariagarh. Later another rath was started in the name of Thakur Mahendra Nath Shahdev, which stopped after the death of Thakur Mahendra Nath Shahdev on January 29, 1983. Now in Jariagarh only one chariot is taken out by all the members of the royal family together. A separate Rath Yatra is also taken out by the Kansari Samaj of Jariagarh, which comes till the fort premises.
Vijay Nath Shahdev said that on the second day of Ashada Shukla Paksha, the empty chariot is taken from the fort to Madan Mohan Gudi by the members of the royal family and the villagers. There the deities of Lord Jagannath, sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra are ritually mounted on the chariot after worship and the chariot is pulled to Mausi Bari located in the fort premises. After staying in Mousibadi for nine days, all the deities are again taken to Madan Mohan Gudi on the Ekadashi date of Ghurti Rath i.e. Ashada Shukla Paksha.
On the day of the Rath Yatra, a crowd of thousands gathers in the one held in Jariyagarh. People are eager to pull the rope of the chariot and catch the prasad thrown from the chariot with an umbrella or a cloth. It is believed that pulling the rope of the chariot gives a lot of virtue. Apart from Jariyagarh, Rath Yatra is also taken out by CRPF 94 Battalion in Torpa, Tapkara, Jhapra, Karra, Silafari and Khunti.
Rath Yatra will be taken out with pomp this year: Gunendra Shahdev
Talking about the Rath Yatra, Chairman of the Raj Parivar Samiti, Lal Gunendra Nath Shahdev said that on June 20 this year, all the members of the royal family will take out a Rath Yatra with pomp and show. He said that preparations for this have been started by the royal family.
