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Rath Yatra, providing
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Rath Yatra
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Puri Rath Yatra
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to Jagannath Puri.
The
Jagannath
Temple of Puri
is one of the four
most famous holy
pilgrimages of the
Hindus.
About
The Rath Yatra Festival
Ratha
Jatra, the Festival
of Chariots of Lord
Jagannatha
is celebrated every
year at Puri, the
temple town in Orissa,
on the east coast
of India. The presiding
deities of the main
temple, Sri Mandira,
Lord Jagannatha,
Lord Balabhadra
and Goddess Subhadra,
with the celestial
wheel Sudarshana
are taken out from
the temple precincts
in an elaborate
ritual procession
to their respective
chariots. The huge,
colourfully decorated
chariots, are drawn
by hundreds and
thousands of devotees
on the bada danda,
the grand avenue
to the Gundicha
temple, some two
miles away to the
North. After a stay
for seven days,
the deities return
to their abode in
Srimandira.
The
entire Ratha Yatra
is a symbolic humanisation
of God. All rituals
associated with
the festival demonstrate
an attempt to bring
the God down from
His pedestal of
glory to a more
human level. On
the day of journey
the three chariots
the yellow coloured
Nandighosa, blue
coloured Taladwaja
and Deviratha are
lined up in front
of the temple and
then the deities
are brought on to
their respective
Chariots. Once the
king of Puri sweeps
the chariots with
scented water and
golden broom, the
pilgrims lined up
with the rope pull
the chariots on
the Badadanda to
Gundicha Ghar.
The
festival is also
known as Gundicha
Jatra, Ghosa Jatra,
Navadina Jatra,
Dasavatara Jatra
and by a variety
of other names.
For the devoted
and believers, it
is considered the
most auspicious
occasion. Rathe
tu vamanam drishtwa
punarjanmam na vidyate
A glimpse of the
Vamana, the dwarf
form, an incarnation
of Lord Jagannatha,
is sure to ensure
emancipation, release
from the cycle of
birth and death.
Jatra is an essential
part of the ritual
of the Hindu system
of worship. Jatra
literally means
travel or journey.
The
Chariots of Jagannath
Puri Rath:
The three chariots
of Balabhadra, Subhadra
and Jagannatha are
newly constructed
every year with
wood of specified
trees like phassi,
dhausa, etc. customarily
brought from the
ex-princely state
of Dasapalla, by
a specialist team
of carpenters who
have hereditary
rights and privilege
for the same. The
logs are traditionally
set afloat as rafts
in the river Mahanadi.
These are collected
near Puri and then
transported by road.
The final ritual
in the celebration
is the pulling of
the chariots. The
chariot of Lord
Balabhadra is pulled
first followed by
that of goddess
Subhadra. At last
the grand moment
and the climax of
the day’s
celebration is reached
when the chariot
of Lord Jagannatha,
Nandighosha starts
its spectacular
journey to the Gundicha
temple. Thousands
of devotees who
patiently wait the
whole day for this
blessed moment are
ecstatic with joy
and pull the chariots
with a sense of
fulfillment.
Time
of Jagannath Yatra:
Every year in July,
the sacred coastal
town of Puri comes
alive to celebrate
the Rath Yatra of
Lord Jagannath,
one of the biggest
festivals during
the monsoon season.
According to the
Indian solar calendar,
it falls two days
after the new moon
day of the month
of Asadh.
Location
of Jagannath Puri:
Jagannath
Puri is situated
on the sea coast
of Bay Of Bengal
in the state of
Orissa. It is 60KM
away from the state
capital (Bhubaneshwar)
and 90KM from Cuttack.
One
can visit
Jagannath Puri
very conveniently
from any part of
India by Road, by
Rail and by the
Public Transport
System.
Good
accommodation is
provided for the
Pilgrims and for
the tourist in Hotels,
Lodging Houses and
Dharmshalas. The
majestic ancient
temple of Lord Jagannath
is situated in the
middle of the Jagannath
Puri.
