In a press release issued today (January 31) by the Coimbatore Isha Yoga Center, the Adiyogi Rath Yatra, organized by the South Kailash Bhakti Peravai, will take place in Vellore from February 3 to 6, in conjunction with the Maha Shivaratri celebrations. The event is being held to commemorate the grand Maha Shivaratri festival at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore.
From Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, hundreds of devotees will undertake a foot pilgrimage with six Adiyogi chariots, traveling towards Coimbatore, specifically to the Velliangiri mountains. The 31st Maha Shivaratri celebration will take place at Isha on February 26, 2025, and the Rath Yatra is held annually to allow people who cannot visit Coimbatore to have a local darshan of Adiyogi.
This year’s Adiyogi Rath Yatra began at Coimbatore on December 11, 2024, with a chariot heading east and south. The event was inaugurated by Sri LaSri Masilamani Desika Gnanasambandha Paramacharya Swamigal, the head of the Dharmapuram Aadheenam. Similarly, chariots heading north and west were inaugurated on December 22, 2024, by Thavathiru Perur Aadheenam Maruthasala Adigalar and Thavathiru Siravai Aadheenam Kumara Gurupar Swamigal. Four specially designed vehicles, each carrying a 6-foot Adiyogi idol, are used for the Rath Yatra.
On February 1 and 2, the Adiyogi chariot will travel through Arcot, and from February 3 to 6, it will journey through various parts of Vellore, including Karugamputhur, Senbakkam Town, Konavattam, Virunjipuram, Poigai, Oosur, Veer Reddi Palayam, Ariyur, Thoraipadi, Vellore Fort, Pennathur, Kaniyampadi, Bhagyam, Virupachipuram, Velappadi, Kadpadi, and Sathuvachari.
Prominent leaders, devotees, and the general public in these regions are expected to give a warm reception to the Rath Yatra. Devotees interested in the Adiyogi darshan can offer flowers, fruits, or Naivedyam as part of their prayers.
Additionally, the annual “Shiva Yatra” is also being undertaken by Shiva Bhaktas from various places, including Mysuru, Chennai, Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Pollachi, and Pattukottai. Devotees will be pulling six wooden chariots carrying the idol of Adiyogi.
A special chariot from Chennai, along with the statues of the 63 Nayanmars, will also travel towards Coimbatore. Other chariots will carry the statues of Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar, and Tirujnanasambandhar.
The Maha Shivaratri event at the Coimbatore Isha Yoga Center will be broadcast live across 50 locations in Tamil Nadu, with a live transmission set up at the Dandayuthapani Kalyana Mandapam near the new municipal office in Vellore. Devotees attending will receive free Rudraksha, Satguru’s Ananda Wave Booklet, and Maha Annadhanam.
The Adiyogi chariots will cover over 30,000 km through more than 1,000 villages in the two months leading up to Maha Shivaratri. After completing their route, the chariots will reach the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore on February 26, coinciding with the Maha Shivaratri celebration.
