Hindu community celebrate Ratha Yatra

Members of the Hindu community celebrated Ratha Yatra on Saturday across the country amid religious fervour and enthusiasm.

The programme of the day was initiated with the recitation from the holy Gita in the morning and holding of Agnihotra Jagna seeking divine blessings for world peace and people's welfare, reports UNB.

The Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath Dev, one of the major festivals of the Hindu community, is also called Gundicha Yatra, Dasavatara and Navadina Yatra.

Thousands of devotees including male, female, boys and girls congregated the day at their respective pilgrim places as well as witness the chariot festival following the yatra.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) chalked out a nine-day programme to be organised in the capital.

As part of the programmes, a colourful procession was brought from ISKON's Swamibag temple that paraded different streets of the capital and ended at the temple premises.

Later in the afternoon, a discussion was held on its premises.

Meanwhile, devotees came out on the street with a colourful procession playing musical instruments including drums in every district across the country from the morning and ended the rally at the temple after marching different streets.

Thousands of people come to visit the fair and bought various traditional handicraft items, toys for their children and sweetmeats.

The law enforcement agencies beefed up security measures to thwart any untoward incident across the country on the occasion.