Indiana: The Hindu Temples of Central Indiana (HTCI) witnessed a grand Rath Yatra celebration for the fourth consecutive year, where a crowd of about 500 people from different states of India was seen chanting ‘Jai Jagannath’ while the sound of bells and gongs reverberated through the air.
It was organized by Odia families under The Jagannath Association of Indiana(JAI), USA banner. Dedicated volunteers worked relentlessly for construction, assemble, and decoration of the chariot. 
Mangal Arati and Archana were performed in the morning, followed by Pahandi at 11 am, with devotees carrying the deities from the temple to the chariot on the Palki.
The HTCI executive president, Krishnakumar Padmanabhan, performed the Chhera Panhara, which marked the start of the chariot pulling. People of all age groups joined in to pull the Ratha, spreading exciting and passionate vibes around the temple building.
The deities were brought into a seperate section of the temple where their aunt’s place is located.
The temple kitchen also prepared a sumptuous special Odia menu of rice, daal, ghaanto curry, tomato khatta, kheer for prasad sevan. Subsequent to this, cultural programme started with a wide selection of acts, which included singing bhajans, classical dances, Odia poems, concluding with the Indian National Anthem.
Bahuda Yatra will take place on July 22 at 10 am.
“The Odia diaspora living in Indiana, USA, feels blessed and privileged to be able to celebrate Ratha Yatra in spite of being far away from the homeland. The JAI group in collaboration with The HTCI officials and volunteers from the Indian community in Indiana made the celebration memorable,” said Shiba Pattnaik, a community member.
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