Along with the rest of the country, Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra, the grand annual festival symbolizing harmony was also celebrated in Tripura with gaiety and fervour on Tuesday.

In capital Agartala the main function took place in the Jagannath Temple where thousands of devotees thronged to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Apart from that Rath Yatra Festival 2023 was also organized by International Society for Krishna Consciousness at ISKCON. Chief Minister Prof Dr. Manik Saha, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Tourism Sushanta Chowdhury and Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Social Welfare & Social Education, Labour Tinku Roy participated in the Rath Yatra Festival 2023 and they also pulled the rope linked to the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Addressing the occasion Chief Minister Prof Dr. Manik Saha said the word ‘Jagannath’ stands for ‘Lord of the World’. Shri Shri Jagannath, Shri Krishna and Lord Ram all of them prevail in this festival. It is said that, at this time, God became one with man. Therefore, love can be felt between God and man in the Rath Yatra festival.

The significance of the Rath Yatra is immense for a person, who longs for spiritual merit and final liberation. It is believed that anyone who pulls the rope linked to the chariots of the deities and helps others also in doing so or merely touches the rope or chariots, gets the merit of several penances.

Documented in Hindu sacred texts – Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita – it is believed that Subhadra, sister of Lord Jagannath, desired to travel to Puri. To fulfil her wish, Lord Jagannath, along with his elder brother Lord Balabhadra, left for Puri in a chariot with Devi Subhadra.

Since then, this festival marks the annual ceremonial journey of Lord Jagannath, brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, from their home temple to another temple which is considered to be their aunt’s home.