Jagannath Rath Yatra
Time : July
Venue : Jagannath Temple, Puri
Duration : 10 Days
Highlights : Annually the reigning gods of
Jagannath Temple - Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra - are traditionally
placed on huge chariots. Devotees pull the chariots in a yatra (parade).
In
the temple town Puri, the festival of chariots of Lord Jagannath is
celebrated annually, during the months of June or July. Rath Yatra consists
of two words: rath, meaning a chariot; and yatra, which means a pilgrim's
journey or a holly parade. Every year at Puri, the temple town of Orissa the
presiding deities of the Jagannath Temple, Sri Mandira, Lord Jagannatha,
Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the supernal wheel Sudarshana are
taken out from the main temple and are drwan to their aunt's temple Gundicha
Temple which is situated on the 2km far from their temple.
Probably the only festival in India where deities are brought out of the
temple every year. Lord Jagannath, with his brother Balabhadra and sister
Subhadra, goes to The Gundicha temple for five days. Gundicha Temple is also
known as the Mausima Temple . At the end of the five days, they are brought
back to the Main Jagannath Temple in a procession called the Ultarath.
Jagannath Festival perhaps the grandest festival in the whole world as
devotees make no mistake in making this occasion befitting with the
magnificence and grandeur of lord Jagannath. The primary festival begins
with the "Snanyatra".The deities are bathed with water from an old
well which is in the temple complex. The deities are then put on huge
decorated raths or chariots and are drawn to their destination by millions
of devotees.
In the parade, the first chariot in line is Taladhyaj, which belongs to
Lord Balabhadra. It is 13.5 mts high, bold blue structure stands on a
platform of fourteen wheels. Next in line is Rath Darpadalan, which belongs
to Devi Shuvadra. Scarlet red in colour, this chariot is around 13 meters
high and it moves on 12 wheels. Nandighosh, Lord Jagannath Dev's chariot is
the last on the line. It is Bright yellow in colour. This chariot is about
14 meters high. and stands on 16 wheels. There are 4 wooden horses before
each chariot.
This day is the only time when the devotees like non hindus or foreigners
who are other is not permitted to enter in the temple premises for the
darshan of the deities can have the fortune of seeing them. Every religious
human being is intrigued by the this yatra. Mere a glance of Lord
Jagannatha, on the chariot is considered to be very fortunate. It is
believed that even a touch of the Chariot on the ropes with which these
chariots are dragged, enough to get bestowed with the blessing for ages.
This festival is a typical Indian fair of huge proportions. This yatra is
actually an event which is full of pomp, drama and colour. This yatra is one
of the oldest and holiest and a very popular hindu festival. The serene and
pretty Puri turns into the hub of buzzing crowd during the occasion. This
festival attracts people not only for its religious connections . The
synthesis of the folk tribal cultural can be seen with infused classical
mythology here. This festival is considered as the living embodiment of the
socio-cultural-religious ethos of the Hindustani civilization.