Kolkata, July 16 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday marked the beginning of the 55th annual Rath Yatra of the ISKCON in Kolkata by performing the sacred 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual and tugging the ceremonial rope of Lord Jagannath's chariot.

The Chief Minister arrived at the ISKCON Temple on Albert Road, where he first performed a soulful 'aarti' of Radha Madhav. He then performed 'Chhera Pahanra'-the traditional ritual of sweeping the path of the chariot with a golden broom-before joining hundreds of devotees to pull the rope tied to the chariot, symbolising the start of the Lord's journey.

"Srila Prabhupada played a significant role in globalising the Rath Yatra and Indian cultural heritage across over 100 countrie...