Our Bureau
Chicago, IL
On May 26, 2024, VHPA of Chicago organized the Shri Ram Lalla Rath Yatra returning home after a historical yatra covering 49 States, 27,000 Miles, visiting 850 Hindu Mandirs in just 65 Days, Ram Rath came back home at VHPA, Sugar Grove, IL. Ram Rath set out on March 23rd and returned back on May 26th, 2024. It was led by Mr Amitabh Mittal ji General Secretary of VHPA and was joined by Ms Tejal Shah ji Jt Secretary VHPA and partly joined by Mr Ajay Shah President VHPA.
The event was attended by around 200 People from various suburbs of Chicago. Despite the weather prediction of rains and thunderstorms, the sky at the venue cleared just 2 hours before the arrival of Ram Rath.
The program started with the prayers and receiving the Rath by Priest Anil Joshi ji of Hindu Mandir of Lake County Grayslake and all the community members present chanted Jai Shree Ram and “Ek Hi Naara Ek hi Naam Jai Shree Ram.”
The welcome address was given by Mr Harendra Mangrola, President VHPA Chicago in which he welcomed all the guests and thanked all the supporting Mandirs of Chicagoland. He said that this Yatra has helped in uniting all the Chicagoland temples and in making a Ram Rajya call from Chicago/US by thanking Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi Ji.
Priest Anil Joshi ji thanked the parents of Amitabh Mittal ji and gave his blessings and said that after the Ram Rath Yatra Mittal ji and Tejal Shah ji has become ‘pujniya.’
Master Vedarth, Anirved Marfatia and Shiva Vaishnavi chanted Hanuman Chalisa; and Ms Anjika Awasthi performed ‘Mere Shree Ram Aaaye Hein.’
Mr Ajay Shah President VHPA thanked the Chicago community for making it possible and said today is the first day of ‘Ram Rajya’ and the responsibility of VHPA is to connect Mandirs and we are successful in that effort. They all will be joining Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) and emphasized the need to have 100,000 VHPA Members in the USA.
Mr Abhay Asthana ji Chairman Advisory Board of VHPA, said that the Inspiration for this Ram Rath Yatra came from the Car Rally but he never expected this Rath Yatra would be so successful and take this shape with just one state, Hawaii left. Visiting 850 Mandirs and building connections is an exceptional achievement. He remembered Mahesh Mehta ji, the founder of VHPA’s vision was to keep Hindus as Hindus and it is possible only with these four principles of Prachar/ Publicity, Sanskar/ Culture, Sewa/ Service and Sampark/ Contact. He thanked Amitabh Mittal, Tejal Shah, Manan Raval and Kathryn.
Mr Sanjay Mehta ji Secy Advisory Board VHPA stressed that Dharmo Rakshti Rakshita, emphasizing that we don’t want Bhagwan to come and protect us, we have to do it ourselves. In his words, today’s Urmila ji is our Preet Mittal, Amitabh Mittal’s wife who supported this mission of Amitabh Mittal ji.
Amitabh Mittal ji and Tejal Shah did share their experience of Journey, and Amitabh paid respect to the four people present including Sanjay Mehta ji, Dr Bharat Barai, Dr Shamkant Sheth and his brother Umesh ji. He said that so much energy was generated during the Rath Yatra. Each and every mandir it went to was received with lot of warmth and respect, be it big mandirs like castles, small in-home Mandir and even in-Farms Mandirs. It was a very emotional and energetic Journey. It was also announced that the first float of the New York Independence Day parade is going to be 3 D model of Ram Mandir, 18 ft x 9 ft x 8ft.
Volunteers Hetal Patel, Shipra ji, Anurag Awasthi, Niyati Vasani, Kathryn and Manan Raval were honored for their contribution.
Ms Meghna Bansal, Dr Panna Barai and Vandana Jhingan honored Ms Preet Mital ji and Dr Barai and Krishna Bansal ji honored Amitabh Mittal ji.
Jaya Asthana ji led the VHPA Prathna and Bhojan Mantra and Nirav Patel ji offered a Vote of Thanks; Krishna Bansal ji thanked all who sponsored and requested everyone to take Bhojan Prasad.
