Guwahati: The annual Rath Jatra (the festival of chariots) kicked off in the western Myanmar city of Maungdaw on 16 July 2026 with great fanfare and enthusiasm. Tens of thousands of Hindu families from different parts of the Buddhist-majority Rakhine/Arakan State gathered in Maungdaw locality to offer prayers to Sri Sri Jagannath during the religious festival, reported Narinjara News, a regional media outlet from the western Myanmarese region. The sacred 9-day religious event kicked off in the Arakan Army (AA) controlled locality, one of 14 Rakhine townships (out of a total of 17) liberated from the ruling military junta by the AA fighters in the last three years.
“Jagannath Rath Jatra is a hugely popular religious festival, celebrated globally, where the grandest observance takes place at Puri, the temple town of Orissa on the east coast of India. The presiding deities of the main temple include Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Millions witness when the decorated chariots are being pulled by thousands of devotees to express their gratitude to the Almighty,” said the Narinjara (https://www.narinjara.com/ ) report.
Needless to mention that the world-famous Rath Yatra/ Jatra of Puri in eastern India is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated on the bright half of the lunar month Ashar. The festival associates itself with Jagannath Mahaprabhu (a form of Vishnu/ Krishna) along with his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, where three massive and colourful wooden chariots carry their idols from Jagannath temple to Gundicha, covering around three kilometers to stay in their maternal aunt’s home for a week and then return to their abode.
“The Hindu community in Myanmar, particularly in the Rakhine’s Maungdaw township, continues to pursue the tradition. This year marks the community’s 24th Rath Jatra festival. Under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, the religious festivals of minority ethnic groups living in the Rakhine State are being promoted. Locals note that holding such traditional cultural events help preserve their heritage while fostering mutual respect and understanding among various communities,” said the report, adding that the former Burmese (Myanmarese) administrations prohibited the celebrations, but now the United League of Arakan /AA administration has permitted the event featuring the chariot procession, religious prayers, cultural performances, and donation of free food items to the participants.
