With great zeal and excitement, Utkala, the cultural arm of Sri Jagannath Temple in Kidderpore, is ready to celebrate the auspicious Rath Yatra and Odisha Festival 2025 from June 27 to July 5, 2025. With a number of events showcasing Odisha’s rich cultural legacy, this year’s celebrations are sure to be a spectacular affair.

Shri Parshuram Bishoyi, Vice President, Shri Jagannath Seva Samiti Kidderpore Jagannath Temple, Shri Pramod Kumar Jena, Secretary, Shri Jagannath Seva Samiti, Kidderpore Jagannath Temple, Shri Saroj Mallik, Secretary, Utkala, and others graced the press conference.

“This festival is more than a religious event—it’s a celebration of Odisha’s timeless culture and spiritual values. We invite everyone to work together to make this Rath Yatra a divine experience for everyone, as Utkala has always aimed to unite communities via art, tradition, and devotion,” said Mr. Chandrasekhar Panigrahi, President of Sri Jagannath Seva Samiti, Kidderpore.

On June 30, Utkala is hosting a seminar on the topic of “Sri Jagannath is the true Asmita of consciousness” at the initiative of Ms. Renuka Rath, Advisor, Shri Jagannath Seva Samiti, Kidderpore. This year, notable speakers from Bengal and Odisha will attend the seminar. In honor of the occasion, the book “Guardians of the Ten Directions” will be published. This book is the pinnacle of public knowledge; it is the first compilation by the Sri Jagannath Temple and contains thirty chosen stories translated from Odia to English by ten well-known Odia authors, including literary greats like Manoj Das and Fakir Mohan Senapati. It is a significant step in bringing Odia literature to a larger audience of people who do not speak the language.

The festivities will begin on June 27 with a vibrant road show called the Rath Yatra, which will take place from Kidderpore Jagannath Temple to Northern Park in Bhawanipur, where the gods will remain until July 5. Kirtan Mandalis and Ghanta Shankh Badan will perform in the road show with a group sponsored by EZCC, which is supported by the West Bengal government and the Indian government’s I&B department.

The Rath Yatra procession will start at Sri Jagannath Temple in Kidderpore, where Chairman of BMW Industries Ltd., Shri Ram Gopal Bansal, will perform the customary Chhera Paharan ceremony. Vibrant road shows, such as Kirtan performances by Kirtan Mandalis and Ghanta and Shankh Badan by a troupe supported by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), will accompany the procession. One of the most important Hindu holidays is the Rath Yatra, which represents Lord Jagannath’s journey to his aunt’s home. Devotees from all over the nation attend the festival, which celebrates unity, devotion, and cultural heritage.

Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, Disability Rights Activist and a member of the National Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will inaugurate the Odisha Festival.

The seven-day festival will feature a variety of performances. Additionally, guests will be able to see the Odisha handicrafts that will be on exhibit for the event. This year’s recipient of the Utkala Samman will be writer and researcher Mr. Gouranga Charan Dash.

The festival will span seven days and include cultural events like Ravana Chhaya, sponsored by the Odisha government, a seminar on Lord Jagannath, Odissi dance performances, and Bhajan Sandhya by well-known artists from Odisha and West Bengal. The bhajan singers Rabindra Mohapatra and Lopita Behera, Padmashree Durga Charan Ranbir & Troupe, and Meera Das (Gunjan Dance Academy) are notable performers.

Kidderpore Jagannath Temple will unveil a book called “Sri Jagannath in Bengali Eyes” during the celebration. Along with traditional Odisha food and handicrafts, visitors can take part in special competitions like a Khiri Pitha cooking competition on July 4, 2025 (Friday), and an Odissi dance and sit-and-draw competition for kids on June 29, 2025 (Sunday).

Priyanka Dutta