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July, 2005
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Jagannath Yatra begins in Ahmedabad, Puri

     Ahmedabad/Puri: The 128th annual `Rath Yatra' or chariot procession of Lord Jagannath started in Ahmedabad at the break of the dawn today. Beautifully decorated chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra and Subhadra are being pulled by hundreds of devotees wading their way through a sea of humanity. "The three chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balram and sister Subhadra are accompanied by 16 decorated elephants, 98 tableaux on the various facets of Indian culture, 30 groups of gymnasts, 18 groups of religious hymn chanters and three music bands. About 1,000-1,200 members of the Khalasi community pull the chariots across the city. They are accompanied by a large number of devotees who have come from all corners of the city," said a Jagganath temple trustee.

    Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the annual journey by performing the `Pahind ceremony'. The process will return back to the main temple after touring through the Raipur, Khadia, Kalupur, Saraspur, Shahpur and Manek Chowk areas of the city. The flower-decked chariots of the yatra is second only to the `Jagannath Yatra at Puri (Orissa) in fame and granduer. In all 30 `akhadas', 18 `bhajan mandalis' and three `Ras Garba' teams also form part of the yatra processsion. Security has been strengthened in all sensitive areas in Gujarat in wake of the terrorist attack at Ayodhya with about 15,000 personnel from city police and para-military forces, including the BSF and CRPF, deployed along the 15 kms traditional route of the yatra, which includes some communally sensitive areas. "About 67 companies of the State Reserve Police, nine companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), five of CRPF, and other companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Border Wing Jawans and 6,000 police personnel of the city police are ensuring a fool- proof security for the yatra," Joint Commissioner of police C P Thakur told The rath yatra is taken out from over 90 places in the State every year.

      This has always been a testing time for the police due to skirmishes between the majority and miniority communities. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the State banning assembly of more than four persons at a place  barring the yatra  and carrying sharp weapons, including "trishuls" and "dharias." Snipers and gunmen have also been deployed over roof-tops of houses located on the route of the yatra. Police sahayak (helpers)' badges have also been given to about 3,500 residents of the senstive areas who would assist the police enroute the yatra. Meanwhile, in Puri, the town has been wrapped in a security blanket due to the Rath Yatra. Troops are on a high alert in the wake of recent militant attack on the Ram Janamabhoomi site in Ayodhya on Tuesday. Puri sees millions of devotees from across the world congregating at the Jagannath temple for the chariot festival, marked by a massive procession which moves through the city's decorated streets for over six hours. More than 4,500 local police and riot control personnel have been deployed both inside and outside the shrine. A special operation group of heavily armed police is manning the three entry points to the town from Bhubaneswar, Konark and Brahmagiri. Security men are maintaining a strict vigil on the crowd from rooftops overseeing the road where the chariots are pulled by millions of people.

      The festival marks a journey in a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple. The Rath Yatra is celebrated in June-July and has been going on for the last ten centuries though the existing temple was built in 12th century A.D. The Jagannath temple, about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for all Hindus. It is believed that Lord Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The present Temple of Lord Jagannath was constructed by the Ganga Emperor Chodaganga Dev (1078-1147 A.D.) of Ganga dynasty. A stone inscription during the reign of Emperor Chodaganga Dev has been discovered in the Nursingha Temple within the compound of Lord Jagannath Temple within which one can get to know many facts about the temple is history behind it. It may be mentioned that Jagannath as a deity being worshipped has been referred to by Raja Indrabhuti of Sambal, who flourished in the 8th century A.D. The main Temple is divided into four parts: Pidha or Pitha, Bada, Gandi (lower part) and Mastak (head).Within the Temple, Ratna Singhasana is enshrined with four Idols of Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Chakraraj Sudarshan along with metal made Bhudevi and Sridevi. The Representative Idol of Lord Jagnnath named Madan Mohan is worshipped in the South side of Temple upon Mukti Mandap and in front of the Nursingha Temple. Besides, in and around the Lord Jagannath Temple Bedha (Boundary) houes the Lords Patitapaban, mahavir near Singhadwar and Lrod viswanath of the starting point of Baisi Pahacha (22 steps). According to belief, all sins of the pilgrims disappear who touch these steps even once.
-July 8, 2005

Rain in Himachal Pradesh: Tourists stranded (Go to Top)

     Kullu: Hundreds of tourists are stranded in the Kullu-Manali area of Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains .The problem aggravated when the only link highway was completely submerged in waist-deep water. The tourists from different parts of the country and foreigners, are stranded in the popular resort town of Manali, which has been cut off from the rest of the State with many parts of the 40 km highway from Kullu to Manali inaccessible since Tuesday. The 480 km Manali-Leh road is also blocked due to rain and snow over the high passes. The heavy rains over the past three days have flooded many areas and blocked off the main highway linking Kullu with Chandigarh. "Most of the roads were blocked and the traffic was very slow as it was not regulated. Every body was going on a small road in two directions," said Lobi, a tourist. "It's been three days since we have been stranded in Manali due to rains and traffic," said Harjinder Singh, a stranded tourist. On Thursday morning, heavy to very heavy rains has been reported in six districts of Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla, Kinnaur, Kulu, Bilaspur, Solan, and Mandi. The Ravi and Beas rivers are flowing above danger mark and the water level is still rising. But the Sutlej river, which wreaked havoc a fortnight ago after a swollen lake in Tibet breached, is flowing below danger mark.
-July 7, 2005

Jammu-Srinagar Highway closed due to rain (Go to Top)

     Jammu: Landsliding triggered by consistent rains in the Jammu and Kashmir region has led to the closure of Jammu- Srinagar highway today.The 300 km-long highway, the only surface link between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country, was closed after landslides in Samroli, Panthal, Seri, Ramsoo Nashri and Banihal areas along the highway, official sources said. With the downpour still continuing more landslides are feared and the Border Roads Organisation and police personnel are working to clear the highway, the sources added. However, the highway is likely to open only after the rainy conditions improve, the sources said. Meanwhile, several people in about 500 vehicles who were trapped on the highway have been shifted to safer places, they said. In another incident, the Baglihar project bridge road was washed away and 30 people were trapped in the Jammu area where three rivers are flowing above danger mark while floods in Chinab washed away a small bridge and a road to Baglihar dam project. A forty to fifty meters bridge and 200-meters of road to the dam in Chanderkote area of Doda district was washed away in the wee hours .The Chenab river was flowing six meters above the danger level at the dam site, sources added. Over 30 persons are trapped in flash floods in Ujh and Tawi rivers in Jammu and Kathua districts, where the three rivers are flowing above danger mark. Choppers had been pressed into service to rescue them. The water level of Chinab at Pul Doda was 834 meters and 772 meters at Ramban dam site, they said. District authorities started evacuating over 1200 people from Pul Doda village this morning. While 12 persons were trapped at Majalta, six persons were stranded at Nagrota, five persons were trapped in Tawi, two in Bahu, three at the Irrigation complex, and two persons each were trapped in Bagwati Nagar and tower areas of Jammu district and three in Ujh in Kathua district, Sources added. However, 25 persons were rescued by the Chopper this morning from Billawer along Ujh river. Seven houses in Gujjar nagar in Jammu city were submerged in Tawi river, flowing at 21 feet mark - four feet above the danger mark -- since this morning, they added.
-July 7, 2005

Amarnath yatra takes off amidst tight security (Go to Top)

     Jammu: The first batch of 800 registered Amarnath pilgrims started their journey today amidst tight security . The yatris were given an official send off from Jammu today at 7am in the morning. Due to the Pahalgam route being snowbound, these yatris will take the shorter Baltal route. While speaking to media , SP Vaid, the IG Police, Jammu said : "The Army, paramilitary forces, CRPF, BSF and local police have joined the administration to make elaborate arrangements for the safety of the yatris." Most of the pilgrims have arrived from the remote flood hit areas of Gujarat. Besides them, there were people from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The special Srinagar-Muzaffabad bus also forms a part of their convoy which comprised of 10 matadors and 20 buses. "Whatever has happened in Ayodhya has happened. We do not fear anything. We have to do the darshan and go to Amarnath," said a yatri. In the wake of Tuesday's attack on Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhaya, the security forces are in no mood to take any chances. Thirty-one companies of CRPF are guarding the yatra route from Jammu to Baltal. "Twenty-eight lodgement centres have been identified for the yatris where staying arrangements have been made," said B R Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. Amarnath Yatra is organised every year by the Jammu and Kashmir Government during the month of sharavan ( July and August); the dates however , vary every year looking at the weather conditions and according to Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) in the month of Sharavan (Vikrama Samwat). For this Yatra to Holy Cave one has to trek a height of about 14,500 ft. It is believed the feeling of divine which is always beneath ones' heart , burst out and one realises Moksha as one attends the Cave and perform the prayer before the Shivlinga .

     Surrounded by beautiful valleys, mountains , one can feel His presence on the paradise of the earth, the memory of which hardly vanishes with time. Here, the climatic conditions are very uncertain . Rain or snowfall may take place at any time or place during the Yatra . It is to be particularly noted that abrupt changes in temperature might occur . Sunny weather may turn into rain / snow fall in a short time . The temperature may fall upto -5 degree Centigrade . For performing this Yatra, one is required to get registered . The registration is done by J &K Govt. Tourist Offices, located at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jammu and Srinagar. Applications for registration in the prescribed format which is reproduced here . One can get the print out of this form and this can be used for registration .The filled in form is expected to be sent to the nearest registration office, along with two passport size photographs duly affixed at the indicated places, a self addressed pre stamped envelope (for speed post) and a medical fitness certificate from an MBBS doctor . Each yatri is required to submit a seperate application for registration. Each yatri is issued a registration-cum-identity slip by the registration authority. Authorities adivse Yatris to carry this identity slip during the Yatra period to ensure a smooth passage.
-July 6, 2005

Boom in hotel business ahead of Puri Yatra (Go to Top)

     Puri: Pilgrims arriving in large numbers for the annual Jagannath Yatra in Puri has resulted in a boom in hotel business. Over one million pilgrims from within Orissa and outside are expected to congregate in Puri for the seven-day "Yatra" of the Hindu Lord Jagannath beginning Friday. Hotel rooms in Puri and Bhubaneshwar are already booked. There are more than 60 hotels in Puri and Bhubaneshwar, but even then rooms invariably fell short. The unusually large number of pilgrims during the seven day festival results in shortage of accommodation and pilgrims allege hotels indulge in hoarding. "They have developed all the old buildings into hotels. Now business has become the main thing. The problem is that we get a good hotel only if we book ahead of the season. They increase their rates also," Dev Basu, a pilgrim who has come down with his wife from Kolkata, said. Hotel owners, however, deny overcharging. "We have kept a certain printed rate. We don't offer the usual 20-30 percent rebate on tariff usually offered in the off-season. We are not able to do that and give rooms only on the full rate. But this does not mean that we increase our rates, for instance if we took 1000 rupees, it is not that we will now charge them 2,000 rupees," said Kumar Halder, owner of a private hotel, which has opened two booking offices in Kolkata to cater to the rush of pilgrims. This year, the district administration has made elaborate arrangements for pilgrims. The Rath Yatra is celebrated in June- July and has been going on for the ten centuries though the existing temple was built in 12th century A.D. Preparations for the Jagannath Yatra begin several months in advance to put together the famed wooden chariot of the Lord, construction of which is considered a privilege by artisans. Skilled artisans and enthusiastic devouts are currently working day and night to put together the giant chariot. Three chariots are built every year near the famous Gundicha Bari temple and the collection of wood begins on Basant Panchami. Once complete, the chariots resemble Biblical vehicles weighing dozens of tonnes. With wheels more than two meters in diameter, the chariots are pulled by thousands of devotees during the procession. Lord Jagannath's idol is carved in wood, a practice going back to early history when the people of Orissa worshipped trees. The festivities start with the images of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra mounted on three different ceremonial chariots being taken out in a procession.
-July 6, 2005

Registration for Amarnath through banks (Go to Top)

     Srinagar: Authorities in Jamuu & Kashmir recently said that registration of devotees for the Amarnath pilgrimage through the traditional route would begin at the weekend. The annual pilgrimage to the hilltop cave shrine, formally begins on Wednesday. Officials said only those related to the conduct of the yatra would leave from the Pahalgam base camp on Wednesday. The registration of pilgrims has been entrusted with the Jammu and Kashmir Bank."We will have registration for yatris from 9th July. We have already requested the J & K banks, which is the designated agency for doing registrations. So, from 9th July, which is, they will be doing registrations from all their branches," said Arun Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. The Shrine Board has also arranged for six helicopters to ferry pilgrims. Hundreds of prefab huts would also be set up for the pilgrims to stay. Kumar added that those who go on Wednesday would make arrangements for the pilgrims at the cave shrine. "From 6th July, basically, service yatris, people who are connected with the administration of the yatra, including langar keepers, shopkeepers, tent owners and fitter yatris who will be provided with on the spot registration can go on the 6th from the Pahalgam route," he added. The base camp for the pilgrimage, Pahalgam, is 96 kilometres south of Srinagar. Amarnath pilgrimage via the shorter Baltal route commenced last month. More than 75,000 people have already visited the shrine. Security has been beefed up following the recent blast outside a school in Pulwama district in which 15 people were killed and over a 100 injured. In 2002 eight pilgrims were killed in an attack on Nunwan camp in Pahalgam. Amaranth stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above sea level, 141 kilometres from the state's summer capital Srinagar. The pilgrimage leads devotees through monsoon rain-swollen streams and past a glacier-fed lake to the cave where they worship an ice stalagmite, believed to be a phallic symbol representing the regenerative powers of Lord Shiva.
-July 5, 2005

Two pilgrims among six killed in Kashmir road mishap (Go to Top)

     Chann Roudian (Kashmir): Six people, including two pilgrims returning from a visit to the Amarnath cave shrine died in a road accident here on Sunday. The accident occurred at around 7a.m. (local time) in Chann Roudian area, about 20 kilometers from Kathua. Officials said the vehicle in which the victims were travelling skidded off the road and rolled down into a canal before hitting people standing near a shop when the driver lost control. "The driver lost his balance and the vehicle fell into the canal. As soon as we got the message, we reached the spot," said Jugal Kishore, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hiranagar. Four bystanders and two pilgrims travelling in the vehicle were instantly killed. Eyewitnesses said at least nine people been injured in the accident have been admitted to nearby hospitals. "People helped a lot. All of us jumped into the canal and took out the driver and passengers. We also rushed them to the Kathua hospital," said Ram Chander, an eyewitness.
-July 4, 2005

Baroda Zoo swept away by floods in Gujarat (Go to Top)

     Baroda / Dakor: The incessant rains and floods over the past week in Gujarat have taken its toll on Sayajibaug Zoo of Baroda, where animals have been swept away and injured. In the Zoo, many animals have been swept away by gushing water. Even though the authorities have helped rescue the endangered big cats and other species, a few inmates are feared to have been killed in their open or covered enclosures, with nowhere to run. Officials said that they have not been able to make an assessment of the loss of life and lack of sufficient cages and safer enclosures hampered rescue. "Water levels are rising enormously. We did not even think the water would rise so much. We are trying to save all the animals," said Manu Kachala, zoo inspector. More than 123 people have so far been killed in the entire state. Most deaths in Gujarat's floods have been due to drowning, electrocution and house collapses. Officials said the severe weeklong flooding had left more than 150,000 people homeless or stranded in their houses in the western state. Residents complained of shortages of food, medicines and materials to build temporary shelters. Trains services across Gujarat continue to remain disrupted. Floodwater started receding in some areas on Saturday as more than 400 passengers of a stranded train at Dakor were rescued while another 350 children were moved to safety from the first floor of their submerged school hostel in Harup village, 75 km south of Ahmedabad. About 90 of the passengers traveling by Shanti Express were rescued after a man who, on receiving a mobile phone message from his trapped wife, drove to dry land near the train and formed a human chain of local volunteers who stood in the water and brought women, children and older passengers to safety. New Delhi has announced an aid package of 500 crore rupees. But residents said more needed to be done. "There is water everywhere. Huge losses have been suffered due to flooding," said Aadesh Bhai, a resident of Dakor. Authorities were providing drinking water to homeless people living in schools and makeshift relief camps on higher ground.
-July 3, 2005

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