The streets reverberated with chants of "Hare Krishna" as thousands of devotees from across the world pulled the decked-up chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra during the annual "Ratha Yatra" (chariot festival) celebrated here on Saturday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath at the start of the Rath Yatra at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple on Albert Road.
Banerjee flagged off the festival with a tug on the rope as believers sang and danced all the way
through to the rhythmic beats of cymbals and drums.
"This year #NabakalebaraRathaJatra is being celebrated. This is very special. Let us maintain communal harmony during festivals," she said. Devotees from 100 countries, including the US, Italy, France, Malaysia and Singapore descended on the eastern metropolis to celebrate the festival. Celebrities from the regional film industry including actor and TMC MP Dev and actress Koel Mullick also participated.