The Yatra will cover a distance of 8,000 miles across US and a separate one will be organized in Canada
Our Bureau
Chicago, IL
Ram Mandir Rath Yatra will kick off from US state Chicago on Monday to travel to 851 temples in 48 states, crossing more than 8,000 miles over the next 60 days, according to organizers. The rath or chariot built over a Toyota Sienna van will carry statues of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, along with special prasadam from the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and kalash of Prana Pratishtha Pujit Akshat, according to Amitabh Mittal, general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA). VHPA is organizing the yatra.
“The Ram Mandir opening has filled with joy the hearts of over 1.5 billion Hindus around the world and has resulted in a renewed energy and faith. The nationwide Rath Yatra will start on March 25 from Chicago in the USA and travel for over 8000 miles. It will cover 851 temples in the USA and around 150 temples in Canada,” Mittal said.
The objective of this Rath Yatra is to raise awareness, educate and empower Hindu Dharma, said Tejal Shah of the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC), which is the apex body for all the temples in the United States.
According to Mittal, several dozen volunteers have registered with the VHPA to help plan and organize this yatra. This is for the first time in the US that a yatra of this kind has been organised by the Hindu community that would take the van to more than 800 temples in the US.
The yatra will culminate on April 23 on the auspicious day of Shree Hanuman Jayanti, at Sugar Grove, Illinois. The Rath Yatra would cover not only all the major temples but also even smaller ones. The temples which participated in the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremonies in the US in January would also be presented with a certificate of participation.
Another Ratha Yatra is being organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Canada. It will travel to more than 150 temples in Canada.
