Newly-elected Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha lawmaker and actor Nusrat Jahan, who recently said she is a ¡°citizen of secular India¡± after objected her to wearing sindoor and bangles, has been invited for the inauguration of Rath Yatra.?
Thanking the actor for accepting the invitation, an ISKCON official said, she was "really showing the road forward".
has been invited as a special guest at the inauguration ceremony of the Kolkata ISKCON Ratha yatra for her stand on religion and inclusiveness, which the ISCKON officials found is in sync with their spirit of "social harmony".
The 48th edition of the Ratha yatra organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) since 1971, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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Jahan recently got married to a Kolkata-based Hindu businessman and was heavily criticised by a section of people for wearing vermillion (sindoor) and a mangalsutra at her oath-taking ceremony. She responded to everyone saying that she represents ¡°inclusive India ... which is beyond the barriers of caste, creed and religion."
The actor and her husband will be present at the inauguration ceremony along with other film stars.
"Thank you @nusratchirps for accepting the Ratha yatra invitation. You are really showing the road forward," Radharaman Das, ISKCON spokesperson tweeted.
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"Iskcon Kolkata Ratha yatra is example of that social harmony where the Lord's chariots are also built by our Muslim brothers. Some of the most beautiful Lords dresses are also made by our Muslim brothers & they are doing it for decades in some of our temples," Das said.
Jahan released a video Monday evening and thanked ISKCON and asked residents to join her in celebrations.
The Rathayatra is expected to attract lakhs of devotees who will pull the chariots of deities of Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra on the occasion.