Hundreds gather for Jagannath Rath Yatra in Pakistan, video goes viral

Last month, hundreds of Hindus in Pakistan gathered to celebrate the Jagannath Rath Yatra, the symbolic journey of three deities; Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra

Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered to celebrate Jagannath Rath Yatra in Muslim-majority Pakistan last month, and videos of the crowd have since gone viral on the internet. Rath Yatra is of significant importance in Hindu religion and is originally observed in the Indian state of Odisha. 

The festival's connection to Lord Jagannath, who is believed to be a form of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, has made it particularly well-known. The chariots on which Jagannath, his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, are placed are pulled by thousands of devotees each year.

Jagannath Rath Yatra in Pakistan: About the clip 

Vikash, an Instagram user, posted several videos from the Yatra that showed a crowd of devotees singing bhajans and pulling a flower-adorned chariot. Pakistani flags can be visible fluttering in the air during the Yatra, and chilled bottles of water were given out to devotees. 

While the Rath Yatra of Puri is popular, numerous social media users across the globe were shocked to discover that Pakistani Hindus likewise take out a Rath Yatra in the Muslim-majority country.

Netizens reactions to the viral video of Jagannath Rath Yatra in Pakistan

The Rath Yatra program was held in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and capital of Sindh, according to Instagram reels. In fact, Hinduism is Pakistan's second-largest religion after Islam. With millions of views and thousands of comments, the videos have gone viral. People who had no idea were surprised to see that there were Hindus in Pakistan.

“Thanks for showing this side of Pakistan,” one Instagram user wrote. Another user wrote, “This is our Karachi. Respect". “As an Indian Muslim, this made my heart happy,” another person added.

What is the Jagannath Rath Yatra?

On the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh, the Ratha Yatra of Puri is also known as the Ratha Jatra and regarded as the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival. The festival is held in the Indian city of Puri, which is in the state of Odisha. It is dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Krishna or Vishnu. 

During the celebration, three gods – Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra – are pulled by a large number of devotees in three huge, wooden chariots on bada danda (the grand avenue) to Gundicha Temple, whereby they stay for a week and afterward return to the Jagannath temple. The Bahuda Yatra is the name given to this round-trip journey.