The Ratha Yatra, one of the most important religious festivals of the Hindu community, began in Dhaka today with vibrant celebrations as thousands of devotees joined the festivities. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) celebrated the occasion with a series of programs at its Swamibagh temple premises.
Grand Procession and Security
The chariot, carrying the deities Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra, set out from the Swamibagh Ashram for the Dhakeshwari National Temple at around 3 pm. Thousands of devotees participated in the procession, chanting devotional hymns, performing kirtan, and dancing along the route amid heightened security measures.
Festivities and Attendance
The day's program began at 8 am with an Agnihotra Yajna, where prayers were offered for world peace and the welfare of humanity. A discussion was later held at the temple auditorium before the Ratha Yatra procession began. Notable attendees included Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, ISKCON Bangladesh General Secretary Nitai Swami, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs Bijan Kanti Sarkar, and other dignitaries.
The procession passed through several key locations in Dhaka, including Jaykali Temple, Ittefaq Crossing, Shapla Chattar, Dainik Bangla Crossing, Paltan Crossing, the National Press Club, the High Court area, Doel Chattar, the Central Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, and Palashi Crossing before reaching the Dhakeshwari National Temple this afternoon.
According to ISKCON sources, the nine-day festival includes Harinam Sankirtan, Agnihotra Yajna, Mahaprasad distribution, religious discussions, Padabali Kirtan, Bhagavata recitation, cultural programs, screenings of religious films, and religious dramas. More than 500 trained volunteers have been deployed to help ensure security and the smooth management of the procession and other events. The festival will conclude on July 24 with the return chariot procession, popularly known as the Ulto Ratha Yatra.
