Thousands of Devotees Join Chariot Festival as Rath Yatra Begins

The capital city of Dhaka was transformed into a vibrant hub of spiritual fervour on Thursday as thousands of Hindu devotees gathered to celebrate the annual Sri Sri Jagannath Dev’s Rath Yatra. Organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the colourful chariot festival commenced at approximately 2:30 pm from the ISKCON temple at the Swamibag Ashram. Devotees from all walks of life converged on the temple grounds to pull the ropes of the monumental chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and his sister Subhadra.

The grand procession navigated a lengthy urban route across the heart of Dhaka. Moving from Swamibag Ashram, the sea of devotees passed through Joykali Mandir, Ittefaq Crossing, Shapla Shapla Chattar, Dainik Bangla Crossing, and Purana Paltan Crossing. The procession continued its journey past the National Press Club, the High Court, the Ramna Kali Mandir reception area, Doel Chattar, the Central Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall, and Palashi Crossing before finally reaching its destination at the Dhakeshwari National Temple.

The day’s traditional rituals began early at 8:00 am with the Agnihotra Yajna, a sacred fire sacrifice performed to invoke global peace and community well-being. Following the morning prayers, a seminar was organised at the Swamibag ISKCON temple auditorium at 1:30 pm. Local Government Minister and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, attended the seminar as the chief guest, formally inaugurating the grand procession later in the afternoon.

The administrative and diplomatic community showed strong representation at the inaugural ceremony. Nitai Swami, the General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, chaired the discussion session. Notable attendees included Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Indigenous Affairs; A B M Abdus Sattar, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister; and Tapan Mazumder, Vice-Chairman of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust. Gokul V K, First Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, was also present, alongside central leaders of the minority community including Santosh Sharma, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, and Tapas Chandra Pal, General Secretary of the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee. Political representation included BNP Assistant Religious Affairs Secretary Amalendu Das Apu and National Executive Committee member Debashish Roy Madhu, along with ISKCON Bangladesh Joint Secretary Gouranga Das.

To ensure public safety and manage the significant traffic disruptions along the major avenues, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) deployed extensive security measures. Law enforcement personnel, including the Detective Branch (DB) and traffic divisions, monitored the route using closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, foot patrols, and mobile motorcycle teams. Additionally, ISKCON deployed more than 500 trained volunteers to maintain order within the procession. The nine-day festival will culminate on 24 July at 3:00 pm, when the return journey, known as Ulto Rath Yatra, retraces the same route from the Dhakeshwari National Temple back to the Swamibag Ashram.