Puri Rath Yatra 2023

Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of the most awaited and much-celebrated festivals in Orissa as well as countrywide. It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath i.e. Lord Krishna, his sister Goddess Subhadra and his elder brother Lord Balabhadra.

Commonly known as Gundicha Yatra, Dasavatara, Chariot Festival, or Navadina Yatra, it is celebrated every year in the month of June or July. For this, the Puri Rath Yatra sees 4-5 lakh pilgrims every year. Indians, as well as foreigners, flock in large numbers to get a glimpse of the idols in the chariot.

It is believed that those who manage to get a glimpse of the idols will have a prosperous year ahead. This year it is going to be held on Tuesday, June 20th.

The Yatra

The Yatra begins when three richly decorated chariots resembling temple structures are pulled through the streets of Badadanda in Puri. Devotees from all over the world assemble in Puri with an earnest desire to help pull the Lords' chariots along with the priests and their fellow devotees.

This is considered to be a pious deed, and people even risk their lives in the huge crowd for the chance to serve the Lord. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed the temple premises, such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get a glimpse of the deities. The huge processions accompanying the chariots play devotional songs with drums, tambourines, trumpets, and other such instruments, making this procession a vibrant affair.

The Ratha carts themselves are approximately 45 feet (14 m) high and are pulled by the thousands who congregate at Puri for this annual event from all over the country and abroad.

The distance from Puri to Gundicha temple is roughly 3 km however due to a large crowd, Puri Rath Yatra takes a couple hours to reach. Once reached, the deities reside at the temple for a period of nine days where pilgrims are allowed darshan before taking it back to Puri in the same way. The return journey is called the Bahuda Yatra. On the way back, the procession halts at the Mausi Maa Temple (their aunt's abode) where the deities are served with Poda Pitha (a kind of sweet pancake).

It is said to be a poor man's food which was a favorite of Lord Jagannath. Apart from the religious affair, this Puri Rath Yatra greatly signifies the feeling of brotherhood that is present among the people who gather here in spite of coming from different social structures and parts of the world.

History of Rath Yatra

Jagannath's Rath Yatra is one of the most historically and religiously significant festivities that are held in the country. This festival has also been mentioned in the Puranas of Hinduism including Padma, Brahma, and Skanda Purana. Rath Yatra is organized every year due to the belief that every year Lord Krishna visits his birthplace Mathura for a few days.

In order to fulfill the wishes of the Lord, every year this yatra is conducted with its starting point being Jagannath Temple. The ostentatious procession's last destination is the Gundicha Temple, where the wishes of Kanha are fulfilled. It is one of the grandest and oldest festivals celebrated in India every year.

Types of Raths in Rathta Yatra

Undoubtedly, the chariots or 'Raths' are the focal point of the procession in Puri. There are three main chariots carrying three deities that are a part of the celebration. All three chariots are made of wood and decorated by local artists. Lord Jagannath's chariot is the biggest of the three having 16 massive wheels and a height of 44 feet.

While Lord Balabhadra's chariot has 14 wheels and a height of 43 feet followed by Goddess Subhadra's chariot having 12 wheels and a height of 42 feet.

The first one of them is the Nandighosa Rath, which is the holy seat of Lord Jagannath himself who is accompanied by Lord Madan Mohan. The wagon is guarded by Garuda while the charioteer is Daruka. This Ratha stands out with its yellow and red decorative clothing as these are the favorite colours of the Lord. This Ratha is also called Garuda Dhwaja Ratha or Kapila Ratha. Other deities in this chariot include Varaha, Gobardhan, Krishna, Gopi Krishna, Nursingha, Rama, Narayan, Trivikrama, Hanuman, and Rudra.

The second Ratha is the Taladhwaja Rath and the presiding deity of this chariot is Lord Bala Bhadra. The accompanying deity is Lord Rama Krishna, and this wagon is embellished with red and blue-green clothes. Basudev stands guarding this chariot, while the charioteer is Matali. Other deities in this Ratha include Ganesh, Sheshadeva, Mukteswar, Natamvara, Mrutyunjaya, Hatayudha, Pralambar, Sarvamangala and Kartikeya.

The smallest of the three chariots is the Darpadalana Ratha which belongs to Lord Jagannath's sister Goddess Subhadra. Adorned with red and black colour clothes, this chariot is guarded by Jayadurga, and the charioteer is Arjuna.

This Ratha also carries Vimala, Mangala, Shyamakali, Varahi, Shulidurga, Vanadurga, Ugratara, Chamunda and Chandi. In Puri Rath Yatra, Lord Balaram's chariot is pulled first, then Goddess Subhadra's followed by Lord Jagannath's.

The Rituals of Puja in Ratha Yatra

Every year, the three deities are carried on chariots a few miles away to Gundicha Temple on the second day of the new moon in the month of Ashada (June-July) according to the Hindu calendar.

It is probably the only time when an idol is taken out of the temple in India. Prior to the Puri Rath Yatra, the three idols are given a ritualistic bath after which they are kept in isolation till the procession day as they become slightly discolored after the bath and are considered ill for that duration of time. On the day of the Yatra, people gather around the temple chanting and dancing while waiting for the King of Puri who is a descendant of the Royal Family of Orissa, to bring the idols out of the temple.

He is the only person who has complete authority over the Jagannath Temple. He sweeps the chariot with a gold-handled broom and decorates the floor of the chariot with flowers before deeming it fit for the deities. He then sweeps the ground in front of the chariots and sprinkles sandalwood water around. This is a famous ritual of the Yatra called the Chhera Pahara. This ritual signifies that everyone is equal in the eyes of the Lord. Placing the idols in the Chariots itself takes a couple of hours but the enthusiasm of the devotees only rises.