Dhaka: Members of the Hindu community are set to celebrate the Ratha Yatra of Jagannath Dev tomorrow. Hindus commemorate this festival as it marks the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, alongside his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the festival begins on Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Aashar. The celebration will conclude with the Ulto Ratha Yatra, the reverse journey, on July 5. Various religious bodies and temples have organized programs to observe the festival. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has planned a nine-day program in Dhaka, with the largest festival taking place at Dhamrai in the Manikganj district.
ISKCON Bangladesh General Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachar announced that a procession will start at 3 pm tomorrow from Swamibagh temple. During the event, devotees will pull the chariots (Ratha) from Swamibagh Ashram to Dhakeshwari National Temple. The route includes significant city landmarks such as Jaikali Temple intersection, Ittefaq crossing, Motijheel Shapla Chattar, Gulistan, Jatiya Press Club, High Court crossing, Central Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall, and Palashi Crossing.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will implement special security measures for the festival. The reverse journey, Ulto Ratha Yatra, will be celebrated on July 5, with devotees pulling the chariot back from Dhakeshwari temple to Swamibagh. The Ratha Yatra of Puri in India is recognized as the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival, celebrated annually during the bright half of the lunar month of Ashar in the Bengali calendar year.