ISKCON’s Rath Yatra observed on Saturday

Celebrating for 10 years, the devotees of Lord Krishna have started the Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra at Shivaji Park on Saturday. The two days festival will see a footfall of lakhs of devotees and is known as one of the biggest Jagannath Rath Yatra, a Hindu festival celebrated apart from the one organized in Puri.

The three hours procession of the chariot was carried on Saturday in some areas of Dadar starting from Shivaji Park, Sena Bhavan, Plaza, Maruti Mandir, Portuguese Church, Gokhale Road and other bylanes of the area.

ISKCON spokesperson Lucky Kulkarni, said, “The festival began with a Maha Arati performed by Radha Gopinath Prabhuji, president of ISKCON Girgaum Chowpatty temple. A special outfit has been made by the devotees from Vrindavan for Lord Jagannathji with brother Baldev and sister Subhadra.” A replica of Balaji temple is one of the highlights in the procession. Besides this, devotees will be preparing 108 bhogas to be offered to Lord using four broad groups of grains, milk products, vegetables & fruits.


Kulkarni, added, “We set a route so that everyone gets darshan of the lord and see the procession. Through the procession, the devotees get a chance to pull the rath. Few of the foreigners will also be visiting the procession.”

According to the members, last year around five lakh devotees visited the two days festival. The rath yatra has been happening since 1961 when it first started in Boston. It is believed that the person who pulls the chariot/rath of Lord Jagannath, go to heaven.

ISKCON spiritual leader Radhanath Swami from Radha Gopinath Temple, Girgaon Chowpatty said, “Shivaji Park Rath Yatra is one annual festival that brings along a large number of devotees from across the communities, casts, creeds, and sects of the society in the service of the Lord.”

Indigenously built Train 18 is now the fastest in India

Train 18, an indigenously developed semi-high speed train, has officially became the first train in India to cruise at a sustained speed of 180 km per hour making it the fastest train in the country, railway minister Piyush Goyal announced through a tweet on Wednesday.


The chief commissioner of railway safety (CCRS) has given the go ahead for the train to run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph with certain conditions paving the way for its commercial operation. The conditions include providing “sturdy fencing” all along the track to avoid any mishap.

The CCRS in its communication to the railway board has said, “Railway shall ensure provision of sturdy fencing at vulnerable location on need basis for operation up to 130 kmph. For speed beyond 130 kph and upto 160 kmph, provision of sturdy fencing all along the track shall be ensured.” It has laid down 21conditions that the railways must comply with to run at maximum speed of up to 160 kmph.

The clearance from CCRS is a pre-requisite for any train with new technology to start service. Railway ministry sources said the train speed can also go up where the track codition is superior. Tweeting a video clip of the train, Goyal said, “Need for Speed: Train 18 seen cruising at a sustained 180Km/h, officially becoming the fastest train in India.”

The first such train manufactured in India at a cost of approximately Rs 100 crore is scheduled to ply between Delhi and Varanasi via Allahabad. PM Narendra Modi will flag off the train and the date of starting the service has not yet been decided.

The CCRS has put the conditions while giving go ahead for the train operation after it recently carried out inspection of the new 16-coach train during speed trial between Safdarjung railway station and Agra. The train is fully air-conditioned and has modern amenities to make the travel comfortable and safe. The train can accommodate 1,128 passengers.

It has new features such as automatic doors with sliding footsteps, fully sealed gangways and disabled-friendly toilets and spaces.


Train 18, India’s first engine-less train, was manufactured in a record time of 18 months at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai