Ratha Yatra festival begins today

Ratha Yatra, the chariot festival of Sri Jagannath Dev which is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community, begins Tuesday.

The festival will come to an end with Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) on June 27.

In observance of the festival, different religious bodies and temple committees have drawn up various programmes.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) has chalked out an eight-day programme in Dhaka. The country's largest Ratha Yatra festival will be held at Dhamrai in Manikganj district.

The programmes of the festival will begin in the morning with the rendering of Harisangkirtan, holding of Agnihotra Jagna seeking world peace and people's welfare, recitation of verses from Srimat Bhagabat Geeta, distribution of mohaprosad, discussion, rendition of padaboli kirtan and arati, cultural function, staging of religious drama and screening of religious films.

On Tuesday morning, the ISKON’s programme at Swamibag in Dhaka started with the holding of Agnihotra Jagna seeking divine blessings for world peace and people's welfare.

A discussion will be organised there in the afternoon. Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will join it as the chief guest while Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Kumar Verma will inaugurate the Ratha Yatra festival.

Later, a colourful procession will be brought out from Swamibagh temple carrying images and idols of Sri Jagannath Dev, his brother Sri Balaram and sister Srimati Subhadra on three largely built Rathas (chariots).

Then the devotees will pull the ropes of the chariots through Jaikali Temple, Motijheel Shapla Chattar, Dainik Bangla intersection, Baitul Mukarram, Purana Paltan intersection, Jatiya Press Club, High Court crossing, Doel Chattar, Ramna Kali temple, Dhaka University TSC, Jagannath Hall, Palashi Crossing and rounded up the Ratha Yatra on the premises of the Dhakeshwari National Temple.

Besides, the Rathjatra festival will also be celebrated at Ramseeta Mandir at Joikali Mandir Road, at Shankharibazar and Jagannath Jeo Mandir at Tantibazar in the old city and other places across the country.

Special security measures have been taken marking the festival to avert any untoward incidents.

Rathajatra is a journey in a chariot with deities of Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), Balaram, or Balabhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) on a Ratha, a wooden deula-shaped chariot accompanied by people in a colorful procession.

It attracts over a million Hindu pilgrims who join the procession each year in the Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh. The Ratha Yatra of Puri is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Aashar (June-July).

Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) will be celebrated on June 27. Devotees pull the ropes of the chariots on the same route from Dhakeshwari Temple to Swamibagh Temple.

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee will join the Ulto Ratha Yatra festival as the chief guest.

/KN/