Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026 is on Thursday, 16 July 2026. The tithi runs from 11:51, 15 July 2026 to 08:53, 16 July 2026.
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026 date in major cities
| City | Date | Puja time |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Mumbai | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Ahmedabad | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Kolkata | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Chennai | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Bengaluru | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Hyderabad | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
| Varanasi | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | — |
About Jagannath Rath Yatra
The Ratha Yatra of Puri, also rendered as the Ratha Jatra, is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadha. The Ratha Yatra is held at the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India and associated with the deity Jagannath.
History
Descriptions of the Ratha Yatra can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, the Skanda Purana, and the Kapila Samhita. Records of the festival have been noted by European travelers since the 13th century, with the most prominent and vivid descriptions noted in the 17th century. The annual festival has been celebrated for over 800 years. The exact date of the first Ratha Yatra is unknown, but mythological accounts trace it to King Indradyumma in the 12th to 13th centuries, under the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), shortened.
Questions people ask
When is Jagannath Rath Yatra in 2026?
Jagannath Rath Yatra is on Thursday, 16 July 2026 (New Delhi). In some regions the date can be a day apart; see the table above for your city.
Why is Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrated?
The Ratha Yatra of Puri, also rendered as the Ratha Jatra, is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadha. The Ratha Yatra is held at the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India and associated with the deity Jagannath.
Other years: Jagannath Rath Yatra 2027
Updated: 2026-10-18 · Calculated for the place shown, with Lahiri ayanamsha. How we calculate