MONGA/TANGAIL, July 5 (V7N) – The annual Ratha Yatra festival concluded with vibrant Ulto Rath (Return Chariot) processions in Mongla and Tangail, drawing large gatherings of Hindu devotees and community leaders. The celebrations marked the end of the nine-day-long spiritual festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra.

In Mongla, the Ulto Rath procession began at 3:30 PM on Friday from the Mansa Temple in Shehlabunia and concluded at the Jagannath Temple in Brahmanmath. The event was organized by the Jagannath Temple Committee, and religious rituals such as Binchu Om Yajna, Naam Sankirtan, and Mahaprasad distribution were held at the two temple venues.

Notable attendees at the Mongla event included:

Abu Hossain Poni, General Secretary, Mongla Upazila BNP

Manik Chandra Gain, Officer-in-Charge (Investigation), Mongla Police

Piyush Kanti Majumdar, Advisor, Jagannath Temple Committee

Sukumar Biswas, President

Ashok Biswas, General Secretary

Pankaj Biswas, Treasurer

Tarun Chandra, General Secretary, Swarna Patti Puja Celebration Committee

Thousands of devotees of all ages joined the procession with religious devotion, pulling the return chariot through the town streets with chants, music, and festivity.

The Ulto Rath in Mongla followed the main Ratha Yatra procession held on June 27, when the chariot of Lord Jagannath had journeyed from the Jagannath Temple to the Mansa Temple. The return on July 5 marked the formal end of the 15th annual Ratha Yatra Mahotsav in Mongla.

Meanwhile, in Tangail, the Ulto Rath procession also marked the conclusion of a nine-day celebration organized by Sri Sri Kalibari. The chariot pulling began early Saturday morning and continued into the evening. Devotees observed rituals and offerings at the Kalibari temple grounds, which also hosted a day-long fair to mark the occasion.

The Ratha Yatra festival, observed annually by the Sanatan Hindu community, commemorates Lord Jagannath’s symbolic journey to and return from the Gundicha Temple (represented locally by alternate temple sites). The tradition holds deep spiritual significance, with each deity riding a separate, elaborately decorated chariot.

The return journey—Ulto Rath—is seen as a moment of fulfillment and divine reunion, and communities across Bangladesh celebrated it with unity, reverence, and joy.

 
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