The Sanaton community began celebrating the nine-day Shree Shree Jagannath Dev's 'Ratha Yatra', one of their major religious festivals, in the city on Friday afternoon.
Elaborate programmes including inaugural function, discussion, 'podaboli' and 'bhakti' kirtans, offering puja and 'archona' and distribution of 'Prasads' and pulling of the chariot of Sree Sree Jagannath Dev were arranged marking celebrations of the festival.
The nine-day celebration programmes also include 'Agnihotro Jaggya', 'Sangkirton, discussion on Jagannathdeb's 'Leela Mahattaya', 'Raj Bhog', prayers, 'Mohaharinam Sangkirton', 'Ulto Ratha Yatra' and cultural functions.
Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan attended the discussion held on the 'Shree Shree Madan Mohan Thakurbari Akhra Paul Para Mandir' premises as the chief guest.
Presided over by Vice-president of Rangpur unit of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Sree Bhaktipriyom Godadhar Goswami Maharaj, Trustee for Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha of Hindu Religious Kallyan Trust Biswanath Sarker Bitu inaugurated the celebration in the function.
General Secretary of city Awami League Tushar Kanti Mandal, President of district unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Ajoy Prasad Babon, its Vice-president Ram Krishna Goswami and General Secretary Dhiman Bhattacharya and other leaders of the Sanaton community addressed the occasion as special guests.
Later, tens of hundreds of the Sanaton devotees participated in the chariot that was pulled out on the city streets from the traditional 'Shree Shree Madan Mohan Thakurbari Akhra Paul Para Mandir' to 'Shree Shree Radhagopinath Zeu Mandir' at Mahiganj in the city.
After the 'bhakti kirtan' and offering puja there, the chariot of Sri Sri Jagannath Deb was replaced in the 'Shree Shree Radhagopinath Zeu Mandir' premises.
The nine-day celebrations will conclude through pulling rope of the 'Ulto Ratha Yatra' of Shree Shree Jagannath Dev from 'Shree Shree Radhagopinath Zeu Mandir' at Mahiganj to 'Shree Shree Madan Mohan Thakurbari Akhra Paul Para Mandir' on July 9 next.
