Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra – All You Should Know About It

The Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is the biggest festival of Odisha, and every year lakhs of

 devotees from around the world reach Puri to be a part of this holy yatra. It is an 11-day long

 festival in which the idols are carried in a Rath to a nearby temple and they return after a

 period of nine days. The Puri Rath Yatra is the oldest yatra in the world and a mention of it

 can even be found in the ancient Hindu texts – the Puranas. Today the festival is celebrated

 internationally across 108 cities around the world including places like New York, London,

 Moscow, Paris, Rome, Kuala Lumpur etc, plus the Indian cities of Kolkata and Mumbai.

The Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is certainly one of those festivals that should be on your

 must-do at least once in a lifetime bucket list. 

Chariots of Puri Rath Yatra

This Chariot is decked with a covering of red and black cloth, black being traditionally

 associated with Shakti and the Mother goddess. Around each of the chariots are nine Parsva

 devatas, painted wooden images representing different deities on the chariots' sides. Each of

 the chariots is attached with four horses. 

chariots name of Jagannath balaram Subhadra

Each of the chariots has its own name. While Lord Jagannath's chariot is called

 Nandighosh, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra's chariots are named Taladhwaja and

 Darpadalana respectively.

The Rath Yatra Procession

On the day of the Yatra, in an elaborate ceremony the three deities along with the Sudarshana

 Chakra, are taken to the chariots. These chariots are already decorated and the King himself

 sweeps them clean that day. He adorns them with flowers and also cleans the grounds around

 the chariots. The route is then sprinkled with sandalwood.

The chariots are drawn by priests and devotees who throng the place to get a chance to pull the

 chariots. Doing so, is considered to be very auspicious. The procession takes place amid the

 singing of devotional songs, along with the beating of drums, trumpets, tambourines, etc. Children

 also line the streets and add to the mass chorus. The yatra starts with the rath of Balabhadra,

 followed by Subhadra and at the end comes the rath of Lord Jagannath.

The return journey after 9 days is called Bahuda Yatra. The procession now begins in the reverse

 order with Lord Jagannath’s chariot starting out first. The return yatra goes via the Mausi Maa

 Temple, reaching Jagannath Temple in the evening, and halts outside the temple. The next day

 the deities are clothed in new clothes and decorated with gold jewels. They are finally reinstalled

 in the temple on the eleventh day. This marks the end of the Rath Yatra.

 Why should you visit the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra festival?

Apart from seeking the blessing of God and bowing your heads in reverence to the deities,

 you must visit the festival to be in the divine atmosphere amidst all the other devotees and

 watch the festival celebrations unfold. Besides, it is a must-visit festival to learn about the rich

Indian culture and the festive spirit.  

During the festival, you would see a colour riot everywhere, and there is just an aura of sheer joy and spirituality. The crowded shops, enthusiastic faces of the devotees, and the vibrant colours are a sight you cannot forget soon.  

Also, no Indian festival is complete with good food. During the festival, you can see various shops lining outside the temple and around the Lords’ Chariot Pathway selling Lord Jagannath’s favourite food items. Some of the most popular delicacies you must try are jaggery pancakes and Poda pitha.

Also Read : Shiva Lingashtakam.