Biratnagar Radha Krishna Rath Yatra to be held on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami

The Radha Krishna Rath Yatra procession will take place in Biratnagar this afternoon, the day after Krishna Janmashtami.

The procession will start at 3 pm and cover a 9-kilometre route through the city. It will begin from the Radha Krishna Temple in Biratnagar–1 and pass through Tinpaini, Main Road, Traffic Chowk, Mahendra Chowk, and Road Shesh Chowk before returning to the temple. During the route, the chariot will stop at 43 points for rest.

This centuries-old tradition is an important part of Biratnagar’s cultural identity. Thousands of devotees from Nepal and India participate in the event. The provincial government has declared a holiday in Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari districts of Koshi Province for the procession.

The Radha Krishna Temple in Biratnagar–1 was established in 1988 BS. The first chariot procession was held the day after Krishna Janmashtami that year. In 2025 BS, Bhupalman Singh Karki and Satyanarayan Dhanawat helped organize the first chariot procession, and it has continued every year since. Along with the chariot, the ceremonial horse (Khat) also makes a round of the city.

This year, the chariot has been redesigned in a new style to make it more visible for all viewers, said Kailash Regmi, chairman of the Chariot Procession Management Committee. The pagoda-style chariot is 19 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 18 feet high. During the procession, flowers will be showered from a Nepal Army helicopter.