Hindus have always been rooted to their culture, religion and spirituality. Several festivals and pujas are celebrated throughout the country of India and it shows our diversity. One of the most prominent festivals observed in the months of June & July is the Jagannath Rath Yatra or the Puri Rath Yatra.
What is Jagannath Rath Yatra?
The festival is the celebration of Lord Jagannath and his siblings visiting the Gundicha Temple around 3 kilometers away from the main temple. The festival goes on for 9 days and is the oldest yatra or procession in the world. The festival is very important for the people of Orissa as it is a symbol of unity and peace. It is said whoever helps pull the chariot or even touches the ropes is blessed with good fortune and pleasure.
Rath means chariot while Yatra means journey, hence, the festival is the journey of the chariots. Every year the chariots are made newly and constructed by the carpenters of the temple. Wood sourced from a special forest called Daspalla is used for construction. Vasant Panchami marks the beginning of wood collection while Akshay Tritiya marks the beginning of construction of the chariots.
Chariots of Different Colors & Symbols
The lord and his siblings are different in every way, thus, their chariots too. Different color cloth is used as well as different symbols to distinguish between all three siblings. The chariot of Lord Jagannath is called Nandighosa is adorned with red and yellow color cloth. The chariot of brother, Balabhadra is called Taladhwaja with red and green cloth. Lastly, their sister, Subhadra’s chariot is called Dwarpadalana with red and black cloth. The wooden horses which are attached to the chariots are also different colored for all three of them. The number of wheels for Lord Jagannath’s chariot is 16, for his brother, Bhalabhadra’s chariot 14 and for their sister, Subhadra’s chariot is 12. The different features help the devotees or bhakts recognize the lords and worship them accordingly.
Some Rituals to Showcase
A very unique ritual is observed in Rath Yatra. The king is said to be dressed as a sweeper and is to sweep the floor of the chariots and roads and spread sandalwood powder and water. The king is supposed to follow this two days, one when leaving the main temple and two when coming back from Gundicha Temple which is also known as Bahuda Yatra.
Why Is The Festival Celebrated?
Lord Jagannath is considered a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. The chariot march is commenced from the Puri Temple to Gundicha Temple, a monument built in the memory of Queen Gundicha. The devotion of the queen for the lords made the deities visit her home every year and stay for 7 days.
The Temple is accessible to hindu religion followers but on the day of rath Yatra, there is no boundaries to have glimpse of lord idols. The idols of Lord Jagannath get replaces in interval of 10 to 19 years at chosen auspicious date. As per reports, the next date will lie in 2023 when there is double month of Asadha.
How to reach Puri
Puri is 60 km form Bhubenashwar airport, that gives easy connectivity from air transport. Several trains from various cities connect directly with Puri city too. Jagannath Puri is one of the dhams of four scared Char dham sites. People form neighboring states also visit through bus service or private car.
Puri Tour with Rath Yatra
If you have book your tickets and made your mind to attend the grand holy event, must be curious to explore in and around of city. Besides the main Temple of Jagannath, you can visit Konark Sun temple, Puri Beach, Konark Beach and Chilika Lake. The Lake is very famous to witness dolphins in certain season. The Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is scheduled to begin from 1st July, 2022 this year.
To Sum Up
In the end, the festival is now quite popular among the international audience as well and is thoroughly celebrated throughout the world. It is special for people and thus makes us realize the importance and joy of celebrating something together with people.
