RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.8: The Bihar and Jharkhand natives who have settled in Japan have undertaken the ‘Kanwar Yatra’ during the holy month of Shrawan to worship Lord Shiva.
Such a Yatra was being conducted there for the first time, and Deputy Chief Mission (DCM) of the Indian Embassy, Mayank Joshi, was present to commemorate the event at the Vedic Cultural Hall in Funabori, where devotees of Lord Shiva had gathered the previous morning to begin the trek.
The beginning of the Kanwar Yatra is being viewed as a way to deepen ties and promote the Indian culture in Japan, and it was made possible by the hard work of the Bihar Foundation Japan branch.
The foundation has taken the necessary preparations to ensure that the event is unforgettable. Raja Anand Vijay Singh, the president of the Bihar Foundation, personally welcomed DCM Joshi with an ‘angavastra’. Aparajita and Jyoti were deputed for applying tilak to the DCM with ‘roli’ sandalwood. With flower bouquets and saplings gifted to the DCM, Diya, Piku, Avyan, and Om Sai attended the occasion.
Jyoti Kiran, Komal, and other ladies welcomed the Kanwariyas at Ojima, a bastion of the Indian community, by washing their feet and showering them with flowers. The sight of this surprised a lot of Japanese folks.
The DCM led a march on foot from Funabori to Ojima with all of the Shiva worshippers. The stroll via the Higashi Ojima Bridge was made more attractive by the Sumedha River and the famed sky tree.
Indians made ‘kanwar’ in Japan, and Mukesh Gupta, Shivani, Om Sai Gupta, Dilip Kumar, Binod, Amit Kumar, Ravinder, Abhishek, Aparajita, Diya, Vikas, Raja Anand Vijay, and Noriko all contributed to its development. After sleeping, they got up and made kanwar.
In his address, DCM Joshi appreciated the efforts to bring the culture of India and Japan together when the country is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Indo-Japanese relations as well as the Amrit Mahotsav of Indian Independence.
