BSS, Rangpur :
The Sanaton community began celebrations of the nine-day Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Ratha Yatra’, one of their religious festivals, with due religious fervour and festivity here on Saturday afternoon.
The divisional unit of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangladesh jointly with Shree Shree Radhagopinath Zeu Mandir and other religious organisations chalked out elaborate programmes to celebrate the festivity.
The nine-day programmes include ‘Ratha Yatra’, ‘Agnihotro Jaggya’, ‘Sangkirton, discussion on Jagannathdeb’s ‘Leela Mahattya’, prayers, ‘Mohaharinam Sangkirton’, Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Raj Bhog’, ‘Bhagabotiyo’ discussions, ‘Ulto Ratha Yatra’ and cultural functions.
The nine-day (from July 14 to 22) celebrations will conclude through pulling rope of the ‘Ulto Ratha’ of the Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Ratha Yatra’ on July 22 next.
On the first day, thousands of the Hindu devotees participated in the ‘Ratha Yatra’ from ‘Paul Para Madan Mohan Mandir’ to ‘Dharmoshava Mandir’ here to begin the nine-day celebrations amid huge festivities.
In the beginning of the ‘Ratha Yatra’, Senior Vice-president of ISKCON, Bangladesh and Principal of Taraganj Shree Shree Radha Madanmohan Zeu Mandir Shreemot Bhaktipriyo Godadhar Goswami Moharaj Brahmachari presided over a discussion.
Additional Deputy Inspector General for Rangpur Range Md Abdul Mazid addressed the discussion as the chief guest.
Additional Police Super Maruf Hasan, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Thana Babul Mian, General Secretary of city Awami League Tushar Kanti Mandal, Acting President of district unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Ajoy Prasad Babon and its General Secretary Dhiman Bhattacharya, addressed asspecial guests.
The speakers said Bangladesh has set up a dazzling example of peace and communal harmony and people of all faiths are living friendly on this soil and working unitedly for advancing the nation toward peace, prosperity and progress.
The chief guest said Bangladesh is a land of peace and communal harmony and no communal force could destroy it.
He called upon the common people irrespective of caste, creed and religion to work shoulder-to-shoulder for speeding up national progress to build a developed Bangladesh by 2041.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Members of the Hindu community have started celebrating their nine-day major religious festival – Ratha Yatra- with due religious fervour and festivity here since Saturday afternoon.
Thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at selected places and joined with full enthusiasm the ritual of pulling chariots to celebrate the occasion.
Old and young, male and female, boys and girls together joined the ritual amidst much fanfare.
The main Ratha Yatra programme in the metropolis was organised in Alupatty area while in the district in Khetur Gourangabari area under Godagari Upazila.
The main journey of Jagannath Dev was brought out from Rathbari to the city’s Alupatty crossing Saturday afternoon, which paraded several city streets with a festive mode.
Thousands of Hindu community members including female and children joined in pulling the raths (chariot) by long ropes through various city streets.
The participants attired in traditional Hindu costumes beat drums and played other musical instruments and walked along the streets. A large number of onlookers on both sides of the road were seen witnessing the colourful Ratha Yatra.
As part of the festival, a huge ‘Rather Mela’ is also being held on the three-kilometer Kalpona hall crossing to Seroil bus terminal with the participation of large number of shops displaying various traditional and handicraft items like furniture, handicrafts, toys and sweetmeat.
A huge crowd was seen thronging the fair throughout the day. Hundreds of devotees from different parts of the district as well as from neighboring areas assembled here to observe the century-old Ratha Yatra festival of the Hindu community.
The law enforcement agencies beefed up security measures to avert any untoward incident for the sake of ensuring communal harmony on the occasion.
The Sanaton community began celebrations of the nine-day Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Ratha Yatra’, one of their religious festivals, with due religious fervour and festivity here on Saturday afternoon.
The divisional unit of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bangladesh jointly with Shree Shree Radhagopinath Zeu Mandir and other religious organisations chalked out elaborate programmes to celebrate the festivity.
The nine-day programmes include ‘Ratha Yatra’, ‘Agnihotro Jaggya’, ‘Sangkirton, discussion on Jagannathdeb’s ‘Leela Mahattya’, prayers, ‘Mohaharinam Sangkirton’, Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Raj Bhog’, ‘Bhagabotiyo’ discussions, ‘Ulto Ratha Yatra’ and cultural functions.
The nine-day (from July 14 to 22) celebrations will conclude through pulling rope of the ‘Ulto Ratha’ of the Shree Shree Jagannathdeb’s ‘Ratha Yatra’ on July 22 next.
On the first day, thousands of the Hindu devotees participated in the ‘Ratha Yatra’ from ‘Paul Para Madan Mohan Mandir’ to ‘Dharmoshava Mandir’ here to begin the nine-day celebrations amid huge festivities.
In the beginning of the ‘Ratha Yatra’, Senior Vice-president of ISKCON, Bangladesh and Principal of Taraganj Shree Shree Radha Madanmohan Zeu Mandir Shreemot Bhaktipriyo Godadhar Goswami Moharaj Brahmachari presided over a discussion.
Additional Deputy Inspector General for Rangpur Range Md Abdul Mazid addressed the discussion as the chief guest.
Additional Police Super Maruf Hasan, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Thana Babul Mian, General Secretary of city Awami League Tushar Kanti Mandal, Acting President of district unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Ajoy Prasad Babon and its General Secretary Dhiman Bhattacharya, addressed asspecial guests.
The speakers said Bangladesh has set up a dazzling example of peace and communal harmony and people of all faiths are living friendly on this soil and working unitedly for advancing the nation toward peace, prosperity and progress.
The chief guest said Bangladesh is a land of peace and communal harmony and no communal force could destroy it.
He called upon the common people irrespective of caste, creed and religion to work shoulder-to-shoulder for speeding up national progress to build a developed Bangladesh by 2041.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Members of the Hindu community have started celebrating their nine-day major religious festival – Ratha Yatra- with due religious fervour and festivity here since Saturday afternoon.
Thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at selected places and joined with full enthusiasm the ritual of pulling chariots to celebrate the occasion.
Old and young, male and female, boys and girls together joined the ritual amidst much fanfare.
The main Ratha Yatra programme in the metropolis was organised in Alupatty area while in the district in Khetur Gourangabari area under Godagari Upazila.
The main journey of Jagannath Dev was brought out from Rathbari to the city’s Alupatty crossing Saturday afternoon, which paraded several city streets with a festive mode.
Thousands of Hindu community members including female and children joined in pulling the raths (chariot) by long ropes through various city streets.
The participants attired in traditional Hindu costumes beat drums and played other musical instruments and walked along the streets. A large number of onlookers on both sides of the road were seen witnessing the colourful Ratha Yatra.
As part of the festival, a huge ‘Rather Mela’ is also being held on the three-kilometer Kalpona hall crossing to Seroil bus terminal with the participation of large number of shops displaying various traditional and handicraft items like furniture, handicrafts, toys and sweetmeat.
A huge crowd was seen thronging the fair throughout the day. Hundreds of devotees from different parts of the district as well as from neighboring areas assembled here to observe the century-old Ratha Yatra festival of the Hindu community.
The law enforcement agencies beefed up security measures to avert any untoward incident for the sake of ensuring communal harmony on the occasion.
