Ratha Yatra begins in Dhaka as thousands of devotees join colourful chariot procession from Swamibagh Ashram. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, July 16, 2026 (BSS) - The Ratha Yatra (Chariot Festival), one of the most important religious festivals of the Hindu community, began in the capital today with colourful celebrations as thousands of devotees joined the festivities.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) celebrated the occasion with a series of programmes at its Swamibagh temple premises.

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 the intensified security vigil.

The day's programme began at 8 am with an Agnihotra Yajna, where prayers were offered for world peace and the welfare of humanity. Besides, a discussion was later held at the temple auditorium before the Ratha Yatra procession began.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended the discussion as the chief guest, while ISKCON Bangladesh General Secretary Nitai Swami presided over the programme.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice-Chairman Tapan Majumdar, First Secretary of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka Gokul VK, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary Santosh Sharma, Dhaka Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee General Secretary Tapas Chandra Pal and BNP Assistant Religious Affairs Secretary Amlendu Das Apu, among others, were also present there. 

The procession passed through 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 programmes, screenings of religious films and religious dramas.

More than 500 trained volunteers have also 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.