IMPHAL, July 5 - An eight-day Kang (Rath Yatra) Festival is currently under way in Manipur. The celebration of the Kang Festival began on the second day of the �Engen� month in the Manipuri lunar calendar on Thursday. The festival will end on July 10.
The main events of the festival include pulling of the �kang�, the traditional chariot, and offering of flowers and fruits to Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
The pulling of the Gobindajee Kang was held in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh at the Shree Shree Govindajee temple complex here on Thursday. A large number of devotees turned up in their traditional attire at the Palace Gate and temple to take part in the festival despite the scorching heat.
The ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple authority here also celebrated the festival by pulling a mini �kang� along the Imphal International Airport road here.
Almost all localities in the valley areas celebrate the Kang Festival, besides holding religious rituals in the evenings at mandaps and community halls. The festival will also witness daily community feasts.
Earlier, Chief Minister Biren Singh greeted the people on the occasion of the festival.
�Kang Festival is an occasion to remember God, clean our hearts and cultivate humility, charity and compassion for all beings,� said the Chief Minister in a message.
Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand also wished the people of Manipur on the occasion of festival. Revenue Minister Karam Shyam and Information and Public Relations Minister Th Biswajit Singh also conveyed their wishes to the people.
