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Rath Yatra in Kolkata: ISKCON’s chariots down Chowringhee
When God comes out to meet the people
Kolkata’s Rath Yatra is ISKCON’s: since 1972 the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra have been pulled about six kilometres from the temple on Albert Road, by Minto Park, down Chowringhee to the Brigade Parade Ground. It is held on the same day as Puri’s, 5 July 2027, the chariots leave around noon, and the deities then stay on the Maidan, with a Jagannath Mahamela, until the return.
Kolkata has pulled the chariots since 1972, six kilometres down Chowringhee to the Brigade Parade Ground, where the deities then hold a week-long mela.
Where to watch
ISKCON Kolkata, 3C Albert Road (Minto Park): ISKCON's first centre in India, opened by Srila Prabhupada in August 1970. The chariots start here. No entry fee.
Brigade Parade Ground: the maidan opposite Park Street Metro station where the chariots stand and the Jagannath Mahamela runs for a week. Open ground, no entry fee.
Free viewing
- Chowringhee Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Road, the widest and most open stretch of the route
- The Exide crossing, where the chariots turn
- Hazra Road and Sarat Bose Road, closer to the start and less packed
- Brigade Parade Ground for the week of the mela
Programme
Mela opens at Brigade
The Jagannath Mahamela ground opens at Brigade Parade Ground ahead of the chariots' arrival.
Brigade Parade Ground, opposite Park Street Metro station
Rath Yatra procession
The three chariots set off from the ISKCON temple at 3C Albert Road, by Minto Park.
ISKCON Kolkata, 3C Albert Road (Minto Park)
Rath Yatra procession
Six kilometres through central Kolkata: Hungerford Street, A.J.C. Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Road, Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, Chowringhee Road, the Exide crossing and Jawaharlal Nehru Road, ending at the Brigade Parade Ground.
Minto Park to Brigade Parade Ground
Rath Yatra procession
There is no ticket to watch or to pull.
The route
Jagannath Mahamela
The deities stay on the Brigade Parade Ground for a week of darshan and mela. In 2026 the mela ran 17 to 23 July.
Brigade Parade Ground
Ulta Rath
Ulta Rath, the return procession, pulls the chariots from Brigade Parade Ground back to the Albert Road temple, arriving around 18:00.
Brigade Parade Ground to 3C Albert Road
How the day runs
The start is ISKCON Kolkata at 3C Albert Road, the movement’s first centre in India, opened by Srila Prabhupada in August 1970. The chariots set out around noon, and the roads along the route close from the morning. They roll through south Kolkata, turn at the Exide crossing and run along Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru Road) to the Brigade Parade Ground, the open Maidan opposite Park Street Metro station.
ISKCON counts it as the second-largest Rath Yatra in the world after Puri, and press reports have put the expected crowd at more than two million. The return, the Ulta Rath, brings the chariots back from the Maidan to the temple on the day of Puri’s return journey, about nine days later. Both the temple and the mela ground are free to enter.
For the original procession, with the month of rites around it, see Rath Yatra of Puri; for other cities, Rath Yatra.
Where to watch
The whole route is free to watch from the roadside.
Hazra Road and Sarat Bose Road
Close to the start and less packed than the centre.
The Exide crossing
Where the chariots turn on their way to Chowringhee.
Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru Road)
The widest and most open stretch of the route.
Brigade Parade Ground
The chariots stand here and the Jagannath Mahamela runs until the return.
Where to stay and when to arrive
Two or three nights are enough: the procession day and a visit to the mela.
- About six weeks ahead: rooms
Rooms around Park Street and Esplanade are under pressure. Staying there, or on Chowringhee, puts the later stretch and the Maidan a walk away; Minto Park and Elgin Road put you at the start. More: where to stay in Kolkata.
- 60 days ahead: trains
Buy as soon as the sale opens.
- The day before: arrive
Roads on the route close in the morning, so it is easier to be in the city already. The Metro (Park Street, Maidan, Esplanade) keeps running when the roads are shut.
Practical notes
- Monsoon weather — July in Kolkata averages about 18 rainy days, highs around 32°C and humidity above 80%: an umbrella or rain jacket and water.
- Keep clear of the wheels — Pulling a rope is open to everyone. Stay on the rope or well to the side, never in front of a wheel.
- Crowds — The FCDO notes that stampedes have occurred at events with large crowds in India and advises taking care of your possessions in crowds. Emergency number: 112 (emergency numbers).
- Mayapur — ISKCON’s headquarters town in West Bengal holds its own Rath Yatra, with the deities taken out on three chariots. See Mayapur.
FAQ
When is Rath Yatra in Kolkata?
ISKCON Kolkata holds it on the same day as Puri: 5 July 2027. The chariots leave Albert Road around noon, and the return, the Ulta Rath, follows about nine days later.
What is the route of the Kolkata Rath Yatra?
About six kilometres from ISKCON on Albert Road near Minto Park, along Chowringhee (Jawaharlal Nehru Road) to the Brigade Parade Ground on the Maidan.
What is the biggest Rath Yatra in West Bengal?
By ISKCON’s count, Kolkata’s is the second-largest in the world after Puri; press reports have put the expected crowd at more than two million.
Is there an entry fee?
No. Watching the procession, the ISKCON temple and the mela on the Brigade Parade Ground are all free.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.