Ratha Yatra celebrated at Shri Banikhetra in KISS

16 Jul 2026, 16:59 by Subadh Nayak · KalingaTV

Bhubaneswar: The divine spirit of Ratha Yatra came alive at Shri Banikhetra as devotees gathered in large numbers to witness the sacred journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra today.

Despite incessant rain, all the rituals related to the Ratha Yatra were performed on time and KIIT-KISS founder Achyuta Samanta conducted the Chhera Panhara rituals which symbolizes humility and equality before Lord Jagannath at 3 PM.

Following the Chhera Panhara rituals, the devotees pulled the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Mahaprabhu Jagannath to the Gundicha temple at 4 PM.

A special feature of the Shri Banikhetra Rath Yatra is that women pull the chariot of Goddess Subhadra here. As the rain stopped by the time of the Rath Yatra, the number of devotees started increasing. More than 30,000 devotees from the local area gathered to watch the Ghosha Yatra.

The grand procession of the Holy Trinity, accompanied by prayers, rituals and devotional fervour, created an atmosphere of spiritual joy and collective celebration. The occasion also served as a reminder of the values of inclusivity, compassion and service that form the essence of Lord Jagannath’s philosophy.

It is worth noting that, based on the tradition of the Puri Jagannath Temple, all the rituals of Mahaprabhu are performed in Shri Banikhetra. Rath Yatra is also organized here by following all the rules and regulations of the Puri Rath Yatra. Special weavers, maharanas and painters are appointed from Puri to build the chariots.

Starting from the construction of the Sri Jagannath Temple in Shri Banikhetra, all the rituals of the Rath Yatra are performed here according to the advice of the Puri Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingh Deb.

In the original form of the Shri Banikhetra Ghosha Yatra, three chariots with 16, 14 and 12 wheels are built here for Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath, Prabhu Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra respectively.

During this nine-day Bahuda Yatra of Mahaprabhu, a Bhajan Samaroh is held every evening near the Gundicha Temple and arrangements have been made for the Meena Bazaar. During this period of time, devotees from the surrounding areas throng the Shri Banikhetra to have the darshan of the Mahaprabhu.

Ratha Yatra celebrated at Shri Banikhetra in KISS

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