NE SPIRITUAL BUREAU
COIMBATORE, FEB 3
As the lead-up to the Mahashivratri festival celebrations at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, the Adiyogi Ratha Yatra will cover an impressive distance of about 35,000 kilometers across Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The sacred Rathams will travel through thousands of villages for over 60 days, spreading the spirit of the festival to diverse communities.
Speaking with the media at the Chennai Press Club on Saturday (February 3), Mahendran, a volunteer from the Thenkailaya Bhakti Peravai, said, “The 30th year of Isha Mahashivratri will be celebrated on 8th March at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. The Adiyogi Ratha Yatra is organized annually by the Thenkailaya Bhakti Peravai to invite devotees to the Mahashivaratri festival. The Ratha Yatra for this year began on January 5th from Adiyogi in Coimbatore. The Yatra includes four Adiyogi Rathams and was initiated by Perur Aadheenam Thavathiru Santhalinga Marudachal Adigalar. The chariots are traveling in all four directions of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.”
“During the two months from January 5 to March 8, these chariots will travel through thousands of villages and towns. A large number of devotees and the public welcome Adiyogi by offering flowers, fruits, and aarti. This Ratha Yatra allows devotees who cannot visit Coimbatore in person to visit Adiyogi near their place,” he added.
The Adiyogi Ratham will be visiting the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu this month. The journey will start on February 21st and continue until March 7th, with the Ratham traveling to various locations such as Arakkonam, Kodambakkam, Annanagar, Purasai, Mylapore, and Crompet in Chennai. Additionally, Adiyogi Raths will travel across Tiruvallur on February 22nd and in Chengalpattu on March 4th. After completing the planned route, the chariots will reach the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore on March 8th, just in time for Mahashivaratri.
Furthermore, Shivanga devotees are embarking on a Padyatra, a pilgrimage undertaken on foot, known as Shiva Yatra. They are arriving in 7 groups from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, pulling 7 chariots carrying Lord Shiva. The Yatra will commence on February 16 and conclude on March 6 at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
During Mahashivaratri at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, the event is being telecasted live at 36 other locations in Tamil Nadu. Devotees throng to these locations in large numbers to participate amid the electrifying environment of the event. Additionally, transport facilities have been arranged for people from outside districts who want to come to Coimbatore.
