Thousands of devotees at six-century-old Mahesh Ratha Yatra
The Statesman | 28 June 2025
Fourteen days have passed since the Snaan Yatra (the divine bath), and Lord Jagannath has recovered from a fever under the special care of vaidyas (traditional physicians). Now, accompanied by Balaram and Subhadra, the Lord is ready to embark on his divine visit to his aunt’s house (mashir bari).
This sacred journey, which began 629 years ago in Mahesh, Serampore, was once again celebrated today with grandeur and spiritual fervour.
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Elaborate arrangements were made by the police and civic authorities to ensure that the Rath Yatra proceeded smoothly and without incident.
According to legend, 627 years ago, Dhrubananda Brahmachari had a divine vision of Lord Jagannath in Puri. The Lord instructed him to carve the images of Himself, Balaram, and Subhadra from a neem tree trunk sent to the banks of the Ganges at Mahesh, now known as Jagannath Ghat. In time, the deities were enshrined in the magnificent Mahesh Jagannath temple.
The Mahesh Rath Yatra is considered the second most significant after the one held in Puri, Odisha.
In past centuries, great spiritual figures including Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Sarada Devi visited Mahesh during Rath Yatra to seek the divine blessings of Lord Jagannath.
Originally, the chariot was made of wood. However, with the passage of time, a grand iron chariot was constructed by the Martin Burn Company through the efforts of Krishna Chandra Basu, then Dewan of Hooghly district under the East India Company and a resident of Shyambazar.
This massive iron chariot, built for Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra, weighs 125 tonnes and stands 50 feet tall. It moves on 12 giant iron wheels and is pulled by two thick ropes by hundreds of devotees along a one-kilometre stretch of the Grand Trunk Road, from Mahesh to mashir bari.