Cooch Behar, July 16 -- Thousands of devotees thronged the streets of Cooch Behar on Thursday as the centuries-old Rath Yatra of the royal family's deity, Madanmohan Dev, was held with traditional rituals and royal customs. Unlike the Rath Yatra of Puri, the procession of Madanmohan Dev is a unique cultural and religious tradition deeply rooted in the heritage of the erstwhile princely state of Cooch Behar.
The chariot procession began at 4:55 pm after a series of rituals performed earlier in the day at the Madanmohan Temple, including the ceremonial bath, special puja, bhog offering and yajna. A special puja was later held at the Kathamiya Temple, where Cooch Behar District Magistrate Jitin Yadav participated in keeping with the long-standing tradition.
After the completion of the rituals and anjali at 4:15 pm, the idol of Sri Sri Madanmohan Dev was brought out of the Kathamiya Temple at 4:45 pm and placed on the chariot. Following royal custom, Ajay Kumar Devaki, a member of the erstwhile royal family, ceremonially pulled the rope first, marking the start of the procession.
Thousands of devotees then joined in pulling the chariot through Harish Pal Chowpathy, Meena Kumari More, Old Post Office Para and in front of the Rajbari before the deity reached the Dangrai Temple at Gunjbari, regarded as the deity's maternal aunt's house. Madanmohan Dev will remain there for seven days before returning to the Madanmohan Temple during the traditional Ulto Rath.
Large crowds lined the procession route, while traditional Rath Melas were organised at the Madanmohan Temple and Dangrai Temple. The police deployed a large contingent of personnel and made elaborate security arrangements to ensure the festival passed off peacefully. District Magistrate Jitin Yadav said: "I feel fortunate to be part of this historic tradition of Cooch Behar. With the blessings of Madanmohan Dev, I hope the Rath Yatra will once again conclude peacefully and successfully."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.