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Lokenath Brahmachari and the Barodi Ashram

At the Lokenath Brahmachari Ashram in Barodi, Narayanganj, thousands of devotees gather in Kartik for the Rakher Upobash.

Last checked: 2 Nov 2026 · 2 sources

Who was Lokenath Brahmachari

Lokenath Brahmachari was a Hindu yogi and mystic who lived in 18th and 19th century Bengal. The Assam Tribune says he was born on 31 August 1730 at Basirhat, West Bengal. (Source: The Assam Tribune, Baba Lokenath remembered)

The same report says he died in Bangladesh on 2 June 1890. Other sources may differ on his birth and death dates, so only this one source is quoted here. (Source: The Assam Tribune, Baba Lokenath remembered)

Twenty-six years at Barodi

The Assam Tribune says he lived for 26 years in the village of Boradi in Narayanganj district, Bangladesh. (Source: The Assam Tribune, Baba Lokenath remembered)

Rakher Upobash

Rakher Upobash is an annual Bengali Hindu observance in Bangladesh. Large gatherings form on Kartik evenings especially at the Shri Shri Lokenath Brahmachari Ashram in Barodi. (Source: Wikipedia, Rakher Upobash)

Wikipedia says it is held on Saturdays and Tuesdays in the last fifteen days of the Bengali month of Kartik. Participants fast from morning until dusk as a vow for health, protection or family well-being. (Source: Wikipedia, Rakher Upobash)

Lighting the lamps

At sunset devotees light rows of small oil lamps in the temple grounds, burn incense and sit facing the lamps, chanting or meditating. (Source: Wikipedia, Rakher Upobash)

💡 It gets crowded on fast days. If you bring children or elders, arrive early and pick a safe spot.

💡 The exact Saturdays and Tuesdays change each year, so confirm the days with a panjika or the ashram authorities.

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