Rath Yatra

¤ Rath Yatra Festival (June-July)

Orrisa comes alive in the month of June and July because this is the time when the famous Jagannath Rath Yatra takes place in Puri. People from all across Orrisa and from various parts of India come to take part in this auspicious occasion. Orrisa witnesses the inflow of about 7 to 10 lakhs of pilgrims during this Car Festival. Foreigners also enthusiastically participate in the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra.
The Car Festival remains one of the world's most unbelievable spectacles in terms of grandeur and enthusiastic devotion.


¤ The Significence

The massive procession begins at Jagdish temple in Jamalpur. The main chariots are dedicated to Lord Krishna, his brother Balaram and sister Subadhra, followed by resplendently decorated elephants, pilgrims on foot, acrobats and gymnasts. The significance of this procession is that Lord Jagannath, his brother and sister makes a visit at the garden house, Gundecha Ghar, for five days, also visiting his aunt on the way. At the end of the five days, the three siblings are brought back to the Jagannath temple in a procession called the Ultarath.


¤ Rath Yatra - The Holy Procession

The deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, are enshrined in the Jagannath Temple at Puri, they are accompanied with a huge procession for 21 days cruise in beautiful, decorated boats on Narendra Tank.
On the full moon day of Jyestha (June), the Snanajatra or the bathing festival is observed, the deities are given a holy bath according to religious rites. After the bathing ritual the three deities are confined to a solitary abode for a fortnight where they undergo ayruvedic healing. They are offered special ayurvedic medicine - 'boli' and a liquid food called 'sarapana'. The deities spend 15 days in seclusion during which period they are repainted and prepared for the Car Festival.

After their stay the deities are taken on a journey of around 3 km in huge decorated chariots to pay a visit at the Gundicha Ghar. Huge chariots are pulled by thousands of devotees, irrespective of religion, caste or creed to achieve the path of divine life.The Gajapati Maharaja cleans the chariots with a golden broom to proclaim that he is the first of the Lord's servants and on this particular day he performs the duty of a scavenger to demonstrate socialism in action and the dignity of labors.


¤ The Massive Chariot

The chariot of Lord Jagannath, known as 'Nandighose' is 23 cubits high and has 18 wheels. The chariot of Balabhadra which is 22 cubits in height and has 16 wheels is named 'Taladwaja'. 'Devadalan', the chariot of Subhadra is 21 cubits in height and has 14 wheels. The specialty of these chariots is, that they are constructed a new every year in accordance with strict and ancient prescription and supervisions.

The chariots are pulled by several thousand devotees at a time. The relation between temple and chariot form is delightful. The chariots in which the images of the deities in the Jagannath temple are pulled through the streets actually resemble moveable temples. In fact, these are designed keeping in view the features of the Bhaskaresvara Temple in Bhubaneswar, which resembles a chariot.


¤ Re-creation of Deities

According to Hindu calendar once in every 12 years, the deities cast off their old frames and forms into new idols. The process of renewal of the body known as Nava Kalebara (literally 'new idealization'), is one of most auspicious occasion of the festival. Performed by distinguished temple priests, each of whom knows only his own part of the ritual, the process includes selection and felling of the tree, carving and painting of the new images, and transmitting of the divine essence from the old to the new frame.

This festival remains one of the most amazing and exhilarating events most of us are ever likely to witness.