Bengal celebrates Rath Yatra with pomp & grandeur

Kolkata: Bengal celebrated Rath Yatra with enthusiasm as thousands of devotees visited various places to get a glimpse of the decorated chariots of Lord Jagannath accompanied by Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra threading their way through in several parts of Bengal on Sunday.

This year, the Rath Yatra of Mahesh at Hooghly district’s Serampore marked the 628th edition of the festival while chanting of holy names reverberated as thousands of devotees pulled the decked-up chariots at Mahishadal in East Midnapore. The Mahesh Rath Yatra is considered to be the second-oldest chariot festival in the world and the oldest in Bengal, having been celebrated since 1396.

Thousands of devotees, even elders who could barely walk, pushed aside all difficulties and divisions of caste, creed, colour and religion, and were seen taking part in the festivities. Amidst the chants of “Hare Krishna” and “Jai Jagannath” resonating in the air, people turned up on the roads to see the passing of chariots in several parts of Bengal.

ISKCON headquarters at Mayapur in Nadia district also celebrated the Rath Yatra festival with much pomp and grandeur. Many foreign devotees and thousands of people flocked to the temple to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra at Mayapur. A colourful procession was taken out in North 24-Parganas’ Barasat where the children and elderly alike pulled the chariot of the deities as it travelled through several parts of Barasat after starting from a Kali temple in Nabapally. The event was organised jointly by Nabapally Adivasi Brinda and Sristir Path in Madhyamgram.

ISKCON marked the 53rd edition of the chariot festival in Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Rath Yatra festival at the ISKCON temple on Albert Road. She also greeted the people of Bengal on the occasion of Rath Yatra on Sunday. She offered prayer before the deities and pulled the rope of the chariot. Thousands of the devotees braved the weather and attended the festival in Kolkata.

Kolkata Police made extensive arrangements to ensure safety and manage large crowds, preventing traffic congestion along the procession route. Senior police officials, including a Deputy Commissioner, oversaw the deployment of police personnel, including plainclothes officers and women officers for added security. Chariots were taken out in many other parts of Kolkata and the rest of Bengal by various organisations. Children took out small chariots across the state.

The Rath Yatra festival has deep historical roots, with mentions in ancient Puranas. The intricately crafted chariots, sculpted meticulously over months, symbolize the journey of Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, to his maternal aunt’s home at Gundicha Mandir.