Gautam Adani, family attend Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri

Puri, June 28 (IANS) Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, along with his wife Priti Adani and son Karan Adani, on Saturday participated in the annual Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri. The Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of India's most revered religious festivals.

The Adani family joined the sea of devotees gathered for the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra, taking part in the rituals associated with the sacred occasion.

They offered their prayers and performed 'Rath Poojan' at the holy yatra.

The Adani Group has launched its ambitious 'Prasad Seva' initiative in Puri Dham, aiming to provide clean and nutritious food to devotees visiting the temple town for the chariot festival.

Lakhs of pilgrims from across the country have converged in Puri to witness and participate in the Rath Yatra, and the initiative seeks to enhance their spiritual experience.

Gautam Adani on Friday took to X, stating, "By the infinite grace of Lord Shri Jagannath Ji, we have been blessed with the opportunity to serve in the sacred Rath Yatra of Puri Dham. With the resolve that every devotee receives clean, nutritious, and lovingly served food, we have initiated the 'Prasad Seva' in Puri Dham."

He added that the entire Adani family is fully dedicated to serving millions of devotees with utmost sincerity and reverence during the auspicious celebrations.

The initiative has been designed to offer free meals and refreshments not only to devotees but also to frontline workers and officials engaged in managing the chariot festival.

Various distribution counters have been established across the temple town to facilitate the seamless delivery of 'prasad'.

Sharing his sentiments, billionaire Gautam Adani expressed joy over being associated with the Puri Rath Yatra, saying, "It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for me and the entire Adani family. I pray that the grace of Lord Shri Jagannath Ji remains upon us all forever. Serving humanity is serving the Divine, and service itself is spiritual practice."

This latest effort mirrors the Adani Group's earlier outreach during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where they supported food distribution in collaboration with religious and civic organisations.

As part of the Puri Rath Yatra initiative, the Adani Group has committed to distributing approximately four million meals and beverages from June 26 to July 8.

The distribution is being managed through several designated food counters set up throughout Puri.

To provide relief from the scorching summer heat, the Adani Group has also installed cool beverage stalls to aid pilgrims during their spiritual journey.

With its scale and dedication, the 'Prasad Seva' initiative aims to serve not just meals but a sense of collective devotion and community spirit, aligning with the essence of the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri.

--IANS

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