Everyone knows Puri’s Rath Yatra. Fewer people know that Bengal has been pulling chariots for just as long — the Mahesh Rath Yatra in Serampore, just north of Kolkata, has been going continuously since 1396, making it one of the oldest in the country.
Mahesh, Serampore
The Mahesh Rath Yatra is the most accessible and historically significant in the region. The town is 45 minutes from Howrah by train (Bandel line). The chariot is enormous, the crowd is genuine pilgrimage rather than tourist spectacle, and the atmosphere is different from anything in the city.
ISKCON Mayapur
The ISKCON complex in Mayapur runs what is now the largest Rath Yatra in Bengal — international devotees, elaborate decoration, and the riverbank location on the Bhagirathi makes for a spectacular visual. Train to Navadwip Dham, ferry across.
In Kolkata city
The city’s own Rath celebrations run in various neighbourhoods. The Iskcon Kolkata temple in Albert Road has a city procession that draws large crowds.
The return (Ulto Rath)
The return chariot procession (Ulto Rath or Bahuda Yatra) happens 11 days later — Jagannath returns to the main temple. The return is considered equally auspicious and often less crowded than the main Rath.