“Bangali’r 12 mashe, 13 parbon” (Bengalis have 12 months but 13 festivals) is a phrase that most of us Bongs are well attuned to. The grand festivals, the aesthetics, and the energy experienced in Bengal during these various festivals are unmatched. One such festival that the Bengalis are gearing up for is Rath Yatra.

The heart of Rath Yatra lies in the pilgrim town of Puri in Orissa, and the festival is associated with the deity Jagannath (also known as Lord Krishna), Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Celebrated with the onset of the monsoon during the later days of June or the early days of July, Rath Yatra is a festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm not only in Orissa but also in West Bengal.

On this day, Prabhu Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra go out on chariots with thousands of worshippers pulling at the ropes, believing that the deities travel to their aunt’s place on this auspicious day. In West Bengal, Rath Yatra is celebrated in several places, but the notable ones are:

Mahesh:

Believed to be among the first Rath Yatra festivals in West Bengal, this celebration is more than six centuries old and happens in the Hooghly district, attracting people from far and wide to witness the grand celebrations. The chariot has been rebuilt several times, but the magnificence of this celebration has not diminished.

Mayapur:

This is another ancient celebration that has garnered mass worshippers who travel to Mayapur to witness the festivities. It is believed that the idols were carved more than 500 years ago. The chariots travel to the ISKCON headquarters, and the whole procession is accompanied by devotional songs and dancing, with people chanting “Jai Jagannath” while pulling on the ropes.

ISKCON in Kolkata:

This is perhaps the biggest Rath Yatra festival in Kolkata. Not just Bengalis but people from other states arrive in the city to be part of the celebrations. The chariot carrying the deities travels throughout the city to mark the celebrations.

Apart from these, Rath Yatra is a celebration that Bengalis have been linked to for years. With schools and offices closed on the day, markets are filled with small chariots that children purchase. Nostalgia hits when the roads are filled with small kids pulling their own small Rath chariots with the three deities inside. You will often find kids distributing “prasad” to every passerby as they continue pulling the chariot.

The day is marked with families coming together for special puja, and as one knows, no festival in Bengali life can ever be complete without food. From pappads to jalebis, you will find Bengalis with their TV channel focused on a local channel showcasing the Rath Yatra celebrations while munching on some “papads.”

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