Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra also known as the Chariot Festival, begins on June 20 and ends on June 21 in Puri.#TrueStoryOfJagannath
#TrueStoryOfJagannath – Lord Jagannath, the infamous incarnation of Lord Krishna resides in the temple city of Puri on the banks of the Bay of Bengal in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. According to a popular legend, Lord Jagannath wished to visit his birthplace Mathura once every year with his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra so that he could show them Mathura on a chariot.
This journey from Jagannath Temple in Puri to Gundichi Devi Temple in Mathura is known as Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra. Every year, on the second day of the new moon in the month of Ashadha (June–July) according to the Hindu calendar, the three deities are taken on a chariot to the Gundicha temple, a few miles away. This is probably the only time when the idol is taken out of the temple in India. Puri Rath Yatra 2023 will start from 20 June.
One of the significance of this Yatra is that people of all faiths and religions can see the deities and participate in the procession as they are not allowed to enter the temple on other days. For this, the Puri Rath Yatra attracts 4-5 lakh pilgrims every year; A large number of Indians as well as foreigners come to have a glimpse of the idols in the chariot. It is believed that those who manage to catch a glimpse of the idols will have a prosperous year ahead.
Before the Puri Rath Yatra, all the three idols are given a ritualistic bath after which they are kept separate until the day of the procession as their complexion becomes slightly discolored after the bath and they are considered ill for that period.
On the day of the yatra, people gather around the temple chanting and dancing while waiting for the idols of the King of Puri – a descendant of the royal family of Orissa – to be brought out of the temple. He is the only person who has complete authority over the Jagannath Temple.
He cleans the chariot with a broom with a gold handle and decorates the floor of the chariot with flowers before deeming it fit for the deities. Then he sweeps the ground in front of the chariots and sprinkles sandalwood water all around. This is a famous ritual of the journey called Chhera Pahar. This ritual shows that everyone is equal in the eyes of God.
It takes two hours to install the idols in the chariots but the enthusiasm of the devotees only increases.
Chariots of Puri Rath Yatra 2023
All the three chariots are made of wood and decorated by local artists. The chariot of Lord Jagannath is the largest of the three with 16 huge wheels and a height of 44 feet. While Lord Balabhadra’s chariot has 14 wheels and 43 feet in height, Goddess Subhadra’s chariot has 12 wheels and 42 feet in height.
They are pulled manually by 50 meter long ropes, people rush to help pull the chariots as they believe that pulling the chariot gives them good karma and atones for their errors. In the Puri Rath Yatra, Lord Balarama’s chariot is pulled first, then that of Goddess Subhadra and then that of Lord Jagannath.
The distance from Puri to Gundicha Temple is about 3 km, however due to the large number of crowd, the Puri Rath Yatra takes a few hours to reach. Once arrived, the deity resides in the temple for a period of nine days, where pilgrims are allowed darshan before being taken back to Puri in the same way.
The return journey is often called the return journey. On the way back, the procession stops at Mausi Maa Mandir (his aunt’s residence) where poda pitha (a type of sweet pancake) is served to the deities. It is said that it was a poor man’s food which was dear to Lord Jagannath. Puri Rath Yatra is one of the oldest and grandest festival held every year in India.
It dates back to the Hindu Puranas, being mentioned in the Skanda Purana, the Brahma Purana and the Padma Purana. Apart from the religious context, this Puri Rath Yatra symbolizes the spirit of brotherhood that exists among the people who gather here despite coming from different social formations and parts of the world.