Mumbai: The Shivaji Park Rath Yatra will be celebrated this week after a gap of several years. Organised by the ISKCON Girgaum Chowpatty Temple, Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra will take place across two days, commencing on 17 July 2026. The festival, famously known as the Festival of Chariots, is returning after a gap because the event could not be hosted at the venue due to the traditional festival dates coinciding directly with the peak monsoon season, presenting severe logistical challenges on the open grounds.
Day 1 Schedule – Friday, July 17
The two-day celebration will start on Friday with 'Mahaprasadam' lunch at 1:00 pm, followed by the 'Maha Arati' on the chariot at 3:00 pm. The Grand Rath Yatra Procession will officially commence at 3:30 pm from Shivaji Park, navigating a prominent local route through Sena Bhavan, Maruti Mandir, Portuguese Church, and Senapati Bapat Circle, before returning to the park by 6:30 pm. The evening will feature a 'Mangal Yagya', a 'Grand 56 Bhoga' (Chappan Bhog) offering to Lord Jagannath presented in beautifully designed traditional pots, and a spiritual discourse by H.G. Radhanath Gopinath Prabhu.
Festivities continue into Saturday, 18 July, featuring the 'Jagannath Shringar Darshan and Arati' at 5:00 pm, followed by cultural performances by children, a spiritual discourse by H G Nand Dulal Das, and the 'Pushyabhishek and Arati' at 8:30 pm. Free Mahaprasadam dinners will be served to all visitors on both evenings.
Organisers expect thousands of devotees, families, and spiritual seekers from across Mumbai to attend. Devotees will get an opportunity to pull the sacred wooden chariot of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Devi Subhadra.
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