Over 15 lakh devotees from around 100 nations are expected to participate in this year's Kolkata Rathayatra, organised by ISKCON, which will be inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.
The Rathayatra will commence from ISKCON temple at 8 am with the chief minister scheduled to reach there at around 10.45 am to flag off the Yatra and after a "darshan", ISKCON Rathyatra chairman Anand Mohan Das told reporters here.
"This will be for the first time that a chief minister will visit our temple," Das said. As Rathayatra and Eid has fallen on the same day this year, ISKCON authorities have changed the route of the yatra "in support of the Muslim brotherhood and in order not to cause them any problem," Das said.
The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra will move through various roads of the city and reach the Brigade Parade Ground (Maidan). The chariots will be there till July 25 and during these eight days, several cultural programmes like dance performance of Dona Ganguly's troop and singing of Vedic songs by Russian devotees, will be held.
