Ratha Yatra festival ends

City Desk:

Ratha Yatra, the chariot festival of Sri Jagannath Dev which is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community, ended on Saturday with the celebration of Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey).
Marking Ulto Ratha Yatra, rituals were held at different temples across the country.

The day’s programmes heralded in the morning included chanting of Harisangkirtan, holding of Agnihotra Joggo seeking world peace and people’s welfare.

Recitation of verses from Srimat Bhagabat Geeta, distribution of moha prosad, discussions, rendition of padaboli kirtan and arati, cultural function, staging of religious drama and screening of religious films were also held at temples across the country, reports BSS.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) chalked out a nine-day programme in Dhaka. The festival began with Ratha Yatra procession and other rituals on June 27 (Friday).
Under the arrangement of ISKCON, a colourful procession with chariots was brought out from Dhakeshwari National Temple in on Saturday afternoon.

Large number of devotees pulled the ropes of the chariots with deities of Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), Balaram, or Balabhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) from Dhakeshwari Temple through Palashi Crossing, Jagannath Hall, Central Shaheed Minar, Doel Chattar, High Court crossing, Press Club, Purana Paltan, Dainik Bangla intersection, Motijheel Shapla Chattar and Jaikali Temple, and rounded up the Ratha Yatra on the premises of the ISKCON temple at Swamibagh.

Besides, the Ulto Ratha Yatra was also celebrated at Ramseeta Mandir at Joikali Mandir Road at Shankharibazar and Jagannath Jeo Mandir at Tantibazar in old city and other places across the country.