Wayne Hindu Temple, Wayne NJ, Celebrated Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra-2026

The India Cultural Society of NJ (Wayne Hindu Temple), in collaboration with Odisha Society from NJ held the Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra recently. Temple priest Anil Sastri and Odiya priest Pitamber Sarangi performed all the puja rituals.

A section of the large number of attendees at the Rath Yatra. ALL PHOTOS: ndia Cultural Society of NJ (Wayne Hindu Temple)

Around 700 people from various Indian communities joined the Rathyatra in spite of the inclement weather, organizers said in a press release.

Organizers and guests pose for a photo at the Rath Yatra celebration.

Devotees offered chhapan bhog and sang Sri Jagannath Bhajan to express their devotion. The community has been doing this festival for the past 21 years, organizers said.

India’s Consul General in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, conducting some of the rituals during the Rath Yatra.

The Chhera pahanra ritual, which is a centuries old tradition of sweeping the platform of deities before pulling the chariots, was performed by Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, as well as Dr Uma Mishra and Dr Dhiren Das.

Some of the women participants at the Rath Yatra pose for a photo with the deities, during the Rath Yatra.

The deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra were carried from the temple to the chariot with the ritual of Pahandi. The procession resounded with the sounds of Ghanta, Ghanti and Mridangam, accompanied by the chanting of “Jai Jagannath,” which according to organizers created an “ecstatic, spiritually charged environment” during the festival.

The Temple had celebrated Snan Yatra, Netrotsava during the two weeks prior to the Rath Yatra. After the stay in Sri Gundicha temple, the Bahuda Ratha Yatra and Suna Vesa will be celebrated on July 25th along with cultural programs.