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Intoduction:
Ratha Yatra
is a major Hindu festival associated with
Lord Jagannath (avatar of Lord Vishnu) held
at Puri in India during the months of June
or July.
Description:
The Puri Rath Yatra is world famous and
attracts more then one million pilgrims
every year, not only from India but also
from the different parts of the world.
Rath Yatra in other words the Chariot
Festival is the only day when devotees who
are not allowed into the temple can get a
chance to see the deities. This festival is
a symbol of equality and integration.
The 3 deities, Lord Jagannath, his elder
brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister
Subhadra are worshipped within the temple,
on this festival they are taken to the
streets of Puri so that everyone can have
the fortune to see them. The 3 deities make
an annual journey to their aunt’s temple (Gundicha
Temple), 2 km away from Lord Jagannath
temple.
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is one among
the four most sacred temples in India. The
other three are: Rameshwaram in south,
Dwarika in west and Badrinath in north.
The festival begins with the invoking
ceremony in the morning and the chariot
pulling on the roads of Puri in afternoon is
the most exciting part of the festival. The
3 deities have 3 different chariots - the
chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosa,
has 18 wheels and is 45.6 feet high, the
chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Taladhwaja
has 16 wheels and is 45 feet high and
the chariot of Subhadra, Devadalana
has 14 wheels and is 44.6 ft high. Every
year the wooden temples like chariots are
constructed newly. The idols of these three
deities are also made of wood and they are
religiously replaced by new ones in every 12
years. |
