July 10, 2013:

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow, the venerable Lord Jagannath will travel across parts of Ahmedabad and shower the people with his blessings during the 136th annual Rath Yatra. The streets of Ahmedabad will be immersed in the Bhakti of Lord Jagannath as chants of ‘Jai Ranchod, Makhan Chor’ will fill the air with a divine blissfulness that cannot be defined in mere words.

The Rath Yatra is an integral part of our culture. Saints, seers and devotees make their way to Ahmedabad to catch a glimpse of this unique blend of spirituality, devotion and togetherness.  Apart from the Rath Yatra at Ahmedabad, Yatras will be held at about 140 places across Gujarat.

Lord Jagannath is a God of the Poor. The city of Ahmedabad has a deep historical link with Lord Jagannath. It is as if the city has grown under the watchful eyes of Lord Jagannath. Ahmedabad was a city of poor mill workers and it was with the blessings of Lord Jagannath that the city made the transition from poverty to prosperity. Thus, we pray to Lord Jagannath to continue to shower us with his blessings. We pray to Lord Jagannath for peace, unity and Sadbhavana among all of us. May he bless the poorest of the poor, our farmers and may India scale newer heights of progress in the coming years. We seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath for very good rainfall in the coming days so that it can benefit our farmer brothers and sisters. 

I also extend my heartfelt greetings to my Kutchi brothers and sisters across the world on the occasion of Kutchi New Year, Ashadhi Bij. May the coming year bring happiness and prosperity in their lives. 

Tomorrow I will have the honour of performing the Pahind Vidhi, the path cleaning ritual at the start of the Yatra. I urge you all to catch a glimpse of the Yatra. I am also sharing some pictures of the previous Yatras. Hope you enjoy them. 

Jai Shri Krishna

Narendra Modi

Source: The Economic Times, DT. July 10, 2013.