January 19, Vellore: In the run-up to the grand Mahashivratri celebrations at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, the sacred Adiyogi Rath Yatra is sweeping across Tamil Nadu, drawing thousands into a vibrant expression of devotion and collective participation. Organised by the Then Kailaya Bhakti Peravai, the Yatra will pass through Vellore city and its surrounding areas on January 22 and 23, offering devotees an opportunity to receive the grace and darshan of Adiyogi Shiva close to their homes.

A press conference to share details of the Yatra was held today at the Isha Yoga Center in Muthanna Nagar, Vellore. Addressing the media, R. Venkatasubbu, Vellore Coordinator and proprietor of Rathinagiri Alankar, spoke about the spiritual significance, route, and growing public participation in the Yatra. He was joined by Sokalingam, Saravanan, Manivannan, Satheesh, and Moorthy, volunteers of the Then Kailaya Bhakti Peravai.

During its two-day passage through Vellore, the Adiyogi Ratham will travel through key neighbourhoods including Karugambathur, Konavattam, Poigai, Ariyur, Thorapadi, Adukkamparai, Sainathapuram, Sankaranpalayam, Velapadi, the Gandhi Statue area, Manditheru, Sathuvachari, Katpadi, and nearby localities, enabling wide public participation.

Following its journey through Vellore, the Rathams will proceed via Gudiyatham and K.V. Kuppam, reaching Kanchipuram on January 25, before travelling through Arcot and Gingee, and arriving at Tiruvannamalai on January 29. The Yatra will then continue through Tindivanam, Puducherry, and Villianur.

The Mahashivratri festival will be celebrated with grandeur at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, on February 15, with live telecasts arranged at more than 60 locations across Tamil Nadu. In Vellore, the live screening will be held at Dhandapani Mudaliar Mahal, near the Vellore Municipal Corporation Office, allowing devotees to participate in the all-night celebration.

Conducted annually, the Adiyogi Rath Yatra serves as an open spiritual invitation to the public to take part in Isha Mahashivratri. It also enables devotees who are unable to travel to Coimbatore to receive the darshan of Adiyogi Shiva within their own neighbourhoods.

This year’s Yatra features four specially designed chariots, travelling in the four directions of Tamil Nadu. The Rathams were ceremonially flagged off by the Gurumahasannidhanams of various Adheenams, marking the collective blessings of Tamil Shaiva tradition.

The Eastern and Western zone Rathams were flagged off on December 17 at Adiyogi, Coimbatore, by Thavathiru Perur Adheenam Santhalinga Maruthasala Adigalar and Thavathiru Siravai Adheenam Kumaragurubara Swamigal.

The Southern zone Rathams was inaugurated on December 23 at Mayiladuthurai by the 27th Gurumahasannidhanam of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, Srilasri Masilamani Desiga Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal.

The Northern zone Rathams was flagged off on December 26 in Kanchipuram by the 234th Pontiff of the Thondai Mandala Adheenam, Srilasri Thiruchitrambala Gnanapragasa Desiga Paramacharya Swamigal.

Each Adiyogi Rathams carries a 7-foot-tall Adiyogi idol. Over a two-month period leading up to Mahashivratri, the four chariots will traverse more than 1,000 villages, pass through over 250 Shiva temples revered in Thevaram, and cover approximately 30,000 kilometres. In the Thondai Mandalam region, which includes Vellore, the Yatra passes through more than 20 such sacred temples.

At every stop, the Adiyogi Ratham is received with deep reverence by Adheenams, spiritual leaders, prominent citizens, Shiva devotees, and the general public. Devotees offer deeparadhana, flowers, fruits, and naivedyam, transforming each location into a vibrant centre of devotion.

Alongside the Rath Yatra, devotees also undertake the annual Shiva Yatra, a foot pilgrimage joined by Shiva devotees from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka, who pull chariots bearing the Adiyogi Shiva form. Additionally, devotees will arrive at the Adiyogi premises in Coimbatore on foot, carrying a separate chariot with the idols of the 63 Nayanmars, adding to the spiritual fervour leading up to Mahashivratri.