PRAYAGRAJ, June 21 -- Devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Prayagraj are preparing for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Sangam city scheduled on June 29. The Rath Yatra will begin at 4pm from Hira Halwai Crossing, proceeding through Subhash crossing and Hanuman Mandir, before culminating at KP Ground, said ISKCON officials. "Since June 29 is a Sunday, ISKCON has decided to hold the Rath Yatra on this day instead of June 27, to give more people the opportunity to participate and receive blessings from the Lord of the Universe, Jagannath," said Achyuta Mohan Das, the president of ISKCON-Prayagraj. "According to the Puranas (ancient scriptures), darshan (divine sight) of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra seated on the chariot during the Rath Yatra is considered far more auspicious than visiting the temple on regular days. In light of this, ISKCON aims to engage thousands of devotees in the festival," said Das. Preparations for the Rath Yatra began over a month ago with the formation of the "Friends of Jagannath" (FOJ) group, comprising more than 70 enthusiastic youths aged 12 to 25 years, who have voluntarily taken up various roles related to the chariot festival. Das shared that after undergoing several days of training, these volunteers are now involved in fundraising, crowd management, garland making, security, guest care, and designing rangoli (traditional floor art) along the procession route. The team is also managing social media and online promotions for the event, he added. The Yatra will feature performances of Odissi and other classical dance forms, while a Kirtan party practicing regularly at the temple will perform non-stop Harinam Sankirtan (devotional singing) throughout the procession on the afternoon of June 29. Additionally, a contingent of 150 devotees from Varanasi is expected to join the celebrations, explained Das. In Puri, it is customary to offer 56 varieties of food-known as Chappan Bhog-to Lord Jagannath, who is renowned for his love for sweets. One of the festival's highlights this year will be the offering of 1,008 types of bhog (food offerings) brought by devotees from different states across India. These offerings will showcase a colorful array of dishes: South Indian delicacies like idli, sambar, dosa, vada, and curd rice; Bengali favorites including sag chochodi, begun bhaja, rasgulla, sandesh, mishti doi, and luchi; Gujarati specialties such as dhokla, dahi vada, thepla, shrikhand, and poha; Odia dishes like kahaja, chhena poda, kheer, and pulao; along with Rajasthani ghevars, laddoos, kachoris, and Marathi vada pav, misal, and dahi bhindi. ISKCON plans to set up an Anand Bazar (Prasad stall) at the venue to facilitate distribution of the sacred offerings. It is believed that Lord Jagannath bestows His blessings through Prasad, and this year, elaborate arrangements are being made to distribute over 10,000 plates of free Prasad to the people of Prayagraj, said the ISKCON temple president....