Hundreds of Hindus gathered in Karachi, Pakistan to celebrate the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra. The colorful procession features intricately decorated chariots carrying the deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Moreover, the Yatra captivated the attention of onlookers and quickly went viral on social media.
Last month, hundreds of Hindu devotees in Pakistan came together to celebrate the Jagannath Rath Yatra, a significant event in the Hindu religion. The festival marks the symbolic journey of three deities: Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and his sister Subhadra. Originating from the Indian state of Odisha, the Rath Yatra involves placing the deities on large chariots and pulling them through the streets. Moreover, this is a tradition followed by thousands of devotees annually worldwide.
A video of the celebration in Pakistan, shared by Instagram user Vikash, has gone viral, showing the crowd singing bhajans and pulling a flower-adorned chariot. Moreover, the video also captured Pakistani flags fluttering and chilled water being distributed to the devotees.
The famous Jagannath Yatra was held in the capital of Pakistan, Karachi with full glitz and glam. This unique Rath Yatra event surprised many social media users who were unaware of the Hindu community in the predominantly Muslim country. Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Pakistan after Islam.
The viral video has garnered millions of views and thousands of comments. One Instagram user commented, “Thanks for showing this side of Pakistan,” while another added, “This is our Karachi. Respect.” In addition, an Indian Muslim also expressed joy, saying, “As an Indian Muslim, this made my heart happy.”
What is the Jagannath Festival?
The Jagannath Rath Yatra is traditionally celebrated on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh. In the Indian city of Puri, Odisha, this festival is known as the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival. It is dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Krishna or Vishnu. Devotees pull the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple. The deities stay for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple, completing the round-trip journey known as the Bahuda Yatra. Moreover, the festival is also celebrated in other parts of India and the world, including Pakistan.
