Ahmedabad Times

The Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) authorities in West Bengal will present monetary help of ₹5 lakh every to 60 rath yatra committees, a lot of that are centuries-old, introduced chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday.

“The previous rathas (chariots), notably these fabricated from wooden, want renovation. I hope that the committees will use the cash for the restore and renovation of the rathas,” Adhikari mentioned.

Adhikari additionally introduced that helicopters will bathe flower petals on devotees endeavor the 30-km lengthy Shravan yatra at Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district this yr.

That is the primary time the federal government is offering such monetary help to rath yatra committees.

Rath yatra is widely known with a lot fanfare in lots of pockets throughout the state. Festivals are held in lots of locations centering this competition.

“A few of the rath yatra festivals, together with Mahishadal in East Midnapore and Mahesh in Hooghly, are centuries-old. The earlier authorities solely used to ship some visitors police personnel to those rath yatras. The state authorities has determined to actively take part within the rath yatra beginning this yr,” he mentioned.

Whereas the rath yatra of Mahishadal is round 250-years-old, the Mahesh rath yatra is greater than six-centuries-old and is taken into account the second oldest chariot competition after Puri.

The CM mentioned that extra rath yatra committees might be included within the checklist sooner or later.

Adhikari additionally mentioned that the federal government will arrange seva kendras (help cubicles) in a minimum of 75 locations the place festivals are organised centering across the centuries previous rath yatras. Pilgrims will get fundamental companies at these cubicles.

Former CM Mamata Banerjee began the observe of offering monetary help to the Durga Puja organisers from 2018. In 2025 the Trinamool Congress-government hiked the state’s grant for neighborhood golf equipment that organise Durga Puja throughout Bengal from ₹85,000 every to ₹1.10 lakh.

The West Bengal authorities has allotted ₹1000 crore to construct a Bengal Shaktipeeth Circuit connecting main temples to facilitate pilgrimage and non secular tourism over the following three years and to develop a restoration plan for a few of the distinguished and iconic temples throughout the state.

The CM additionally mentioned that for the primary time the state authorities would arrange help cubicles alongside the routes taken by pilgrims in the course of the Shravan Mela.

“Three routes have been recognized together with one at Jalpesh in Jalpaiguri, Tarakeshwar in Hooghly and the third one close to the Indo-Bhutan border. Police kiosks, medical camps and cubicles the place pilgrims can refresh themselves might be arrange,” he mentioned.