Members of Hindu community today celebrated Ratha Yatra of Jagannath Dev with due religious fervor and gaiety. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, June 27, 2025 (BSS) - Members of Hindu community today celebrated Ratha Yatra of Jagannath Dev with due religious fervor and gaiety. 

The Hindus celebrate the festival commemorating the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple.
 
According to Hindu calendar, the festival begins on Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Aashar. The festival will come to an end with Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) on July 5.

In observance of the festival, different religious bodies and temples drew up various programmes.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) chalked out a nine-day programme in Dhaka. Country's oldest and most traditional Ratha Yatra festival was held at Dhamrai in Dhaka district.

A colorful procession was brought out in the capital at 3 pm from Swamibagh temple.

During the procession devotees pulled the ropes of the chariots (Ratha) from Swamibagh Ashram to Dhakeshwari National Temple.
 
The procession went through Jaikali Temple intersection, Ittefaq crossing, Motijheel Shapla Chattar, Gulistan, Jatiya Press Club, High Court crossing, Central Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall and Palashi Crossing.

Clad in colorful traditional dresses, a massive number of devotees joined the procession which also drew massive onlookers on either side of the roads. Devotional songs were played in loudspeakers while devotees also performed songs along with beating musical instruments.
 
A huge number of devotees also joined the procession in decorated trucks. 
 
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) took special security measures marking the festival.
 
Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) will be celebrated on July 5 when the devotees will pull the chariot on the same route to bring back it from Dhakeshwari temple to Swamibagh.

Ratha Yatra of Puri in India is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashar of Bengali calendar year.