The Ram Mandir Rath Yatra, to begin from Chicago on 25 March a week before Ram Navami, will conclude on 23 April, the auspicious day of Hanuman Jayanti, in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Ram Mandir Rath Yatra to travel 8,000 miles, visit 851 temples in 48 US states.

Upendra Bharti  | HENB | New Delhi | March 22, 2024:: A Ram Mandir Rath Yatra is scheduled to begin from Chicago in the United States on Monday, embarking on a journey to visit 851 temples in 48 of the 50 American states, covering over 8,000 miles in about a month, as per the announcement made by organisers on Thursday.

The chariot for the Ram Mandir Rath Yatra, made from a Toyota Sienna van, will carry murtis of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, along with special prasada from Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the kalash full of prana pratishtha-pujit akshat.

Amitabh Mittal, the general secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), said about the Ram Mandir inauguration and expressed his positive views for the success of the Yatra.

“The Ram Mandir opening has filled with joy the hearts of over 1.5 billion Hindus around the world and has resulted in a renewed energy and faith. The nationwide Rath Yatra will start on March 25 from Chicago in the USA and travel for over 8000 miles. It will cover 851 temples in the USA and around 150 temples in Canada,” Mittal told PTI.

Several dozen volunteers have registered with the VHPA to help plan and organise the initiative, Mittal said.

This is for the first time in the US that a yatra of this kind has been organised by the Hindu community in such a massive scale.

The Canada section of the Ratha Yatra— a separate one, is being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Canada. It will travel to more than 150 temples in Canada.

“The objective of this Rath Yatra is to raise awareness, educate and empower Hindu Dharma,” said Tejal Shah of the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC), which is the apex body for all the temples in the United States. The yatra will provide the opportunity to all Hindus to unite and participate, which will lead to revival of Hindu ethos and Dharma, she said.

“It is very important for us and especially for our future generation to stay united and strong in the campaign to raise awareness and spread the Hindu Dharma across the world,” Shah said.

While the Ram Mandir Rath Yatra will continue on 17 April, which is the date for the Chaitra Ram Navami this year, it will conclude on 23 April, the day of Hanuman Jayanti, in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

The Ram Mandir Rath Yatra 2024 in  US, gives us the message of Global Hindu Solidarity for Ayodhya Ram Temple for which Hindus and Sikhs fought a lot to reclaim it from the stink of Mughal invasion.

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__Inputs from PTI &  Swadharma.