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Rash Yatra is one of the many festivals in the busy Bengali calendar, held in the month of December every year. It is a festival to commemorate the feats of Lord Krishna and is more acclaimed due to the fairs held in different parts of Bengal. Rash emphasises on the various miraculous deeds of Lord Krishna, while he was in Vrindavan, in the midst of the cowboys.  

Lord Krishna's birth, the slaying of the witch Putana, the destruction of Bakasur the demon, the killing of the enormous water serpent Kaliya and the lifting of the Giri Gobardhan to protect his people from the the curses of Lord Indra are the incidents that are vividly described in the RashYatra through clay models.

Lord Krishna is worshipped in the seven day stint. Fairs are held all over Bengal and other parts of India. These fairs are very popular for their commercial output but at the same time serve as a common platform for people of different sects and origin to enjoy. Today fairs have a rapidly changing look but are still capable of stirring the nostalgic memories of the bygone days. One can still find the lingering flavour of 'jalebis', 'chanachur' and the sugercanes of Rashmela.

Rash was not a major festival in early Bengal. The Zamindar families used to celebrate it within their authorities. After the battle of Plassey, the Babu culture was well established in Kolkata and it was at this juncture Rash Yatra received a new impetus. Lavish arrangements were made under the supervision of the Babus to commemorate the auspicious occasion. The mela or the fair was a week long affair. Anything between silk clothes and earthen utensil changed hands in this fair.