Rath Yatra celebrated in Bengal

Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra festival was today celebrated in various parts of West Bengal with traditional religious fervour.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed and inaugurated ISKCON's Rath Yatra at Brigade Parade Grounds where state panchayat and PHE minister Subrato Mukherjee and Mayor Sovan Chatterjee were also present.

Many such chariot festivals were organised all over the city where thousands of devotees participated.

At Mahesh near Serampore in Hooghly district, the festival, which is being celebrated since 1397, was held with usual pomp.

The Rathayatra at Mahesh is the oldest in the country after Puri.

On this day, formal booking for jatras (folk theatre) in the state is opened.
 

Also the city's football season is kicked off today with the puja offered at goal posts.