Beginning on March 25, the US Ram Mandir Rath Yatra will visit 851 temples across 48 states
Chicago According to organisers on Thursday, the Ram Mandir Rath Yatra, a first-of-its-kind effort, will begin on March 25 (Monday) in the US city of Chicago. Over the course of the following two months, it will traverse more than 8,000 miles and visit 851 temples spread over 48 American states. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) is organising the event. The chariot, or rath, will be based on a Toyota Sienna van and will be adorned with figures of Hanuman, Lakshman, Goddess Sita, and Lord Ram.
The rath will also include special prasadam from the freshly opened Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and Kalash from Prana Pratishtha Pujit Akshat, according to Amitabh Mittal, general secretary of the VHPA. “The national Rath Yatra, which will cover a distance of more than 8000 miles, will begin on March 25 in Chicago, USA. Around 150 temples in Canada and 851 temples in the USA would be covered, Mittal told news agency PTI.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Canada is in charge of organising the Rath Yatra’s Canada leg as a distinct event. “The aim of this Rath Yatra is to increase consciousness, impart knowledge, and strengthen Hindu Dharma,” said Tejal Shah of the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC), the highest authority for all American temples.
Many volunteers assist in Yatra’s organisation.
Shah claims that the yatra would provide all Hindus a chance to come together and take part, which would result in the resuscitation of the Hindu ethos and Dharma. Shah said, “We must continue to be strong and united in our campaign to raise awareness and spread the Hindu Dharma throughout the world, especially for our future generation.”
According to Mittal, a number of volunteers have signed up with the VHPA to assist with the initiative’s planning and organisation. This is the first time that the Hindu community in the US has arranged a yatra of this kind, which would take the van to almost 800 temples.
The last day of the Ram Mandir Rath Yatra is April 23, which is also Hanuman Jayanti in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Not only would the Rath Yatra visit every big temple, but even lesser ones would be included. “As long as they have a physical space, we will visit every mandir in the United States,” said Shah.
A certificate of participation will also be given to the temples that took part in the January Ram Mandir inauguration rituals in the US. This yatra comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, when a large number of the nation’s most well-known celebrities were in attendance.
