Bhubaneswar: Rath Yatra celebrations are over but Odias living in Canberra will long revel in the feeling that after years, their efforts to celebrate the festival in a big way finally bore fruits.
This year they installed 2.5-ft idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra in the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre, Canberra, and also got the ‘ratna singhasan’ (seat of the deities) and brass jewellery for Suna Besha shipped from Odisha.
The deities were installed at the temple on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. The ornaments were used for the first time on Suna Besha.
“This year we could observe all rituals for Rath Yatra on the same days. Otherwise, we used to schedule celebrations on a day convenient to all devotees,” said Tarun Agasti, vice-president of HTCC. There were new clothes for the deities bought from Puri while Pipili applique works adorned different parts of the chariot.
Though Agasti placed the order for the ornaments in 2019 with a brass artisan from Balakati, it got delayed due to Covid pandemic. Balakati, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, is famous for its brass work. The artisan used 40 kg of brass to make the ornaments.
“The entire shipment of four tonnes reached Australia in January via Mumbai,” said Agasti. Though the cost of making the idols and ornaments was 21,000 Australian dollars, the shipment cost was 15,000 Australian dollars. “Our main aim to organise Rath Yatra in all its grandeur is to propagate Jagannath culture in Australia. This year, we were able to attract 1,500 devotees,” said Agasti.
Rath Yatra celebrations had started in Canberra in 2011 with the idols that Agasti used to worship at home, and a handful of Odia devotees. Over the years, many Indians and foreigners have started attending the festivities. Religious discourses and bhajan samaroahs were also part of Rath yatra festivities this year.

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