Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is a very important festival for Hindus which is held every year at the Jagannath Temple Puri. This Rath Yatra is celebrated with great enthusiasm and liveliness in Puri, Odisha. Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is celebrated on the 2 day (Dwitiya) during the Shukla Paksha of the month of Ashada. The festival marks the annual visit of Lord Jagannath to the famous Gundicha Mata temple. It is a very famous festival across the world, as people from different parts of the world witness the Rath Yatra. In the chariot journey, the chariots are drawn in which there is a race in which the chariots are drawn. It is believed that the day before the Rath Yatra, the Gundicha temple is washed by devotees and the ritual is called Gundicha Marjana. In 2017, the Jagannath Rath Yatra arrives on 25 June. This trip is usually celebrated in the months of June or July.
The term ‘Jagannath’ gives an example of the God of the universe, and Lord Jagannath is considered as an expression of Lord Vishnu. Lord Jagannath is worshiped and revered in the famous Jagannath temple of Puri in Odisha. In addition, the Jagannath temple is considered one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites, and for a Hindu it is believed to visit once in its lifetime. Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are also worshiped in Puri Rath Yatra, brother and sister of Lord Jagannath respectively. During this festival, the three deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra are worshiped in the Jagannath temple, and are taken out in their chariots on the streets of Puri. Every year this chariot festival attracts tourists, pilgrims and devotees not only from India but from all over the world. The festival marks the annual visit of Lord Jagannath to the famous Gundicha Mata temple.
Legend
If we consider the legend of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, according to Hindu scriptures, once the queens of Lord Krishna urged Mother Rohini to reveal the various Ras Leelas of Lord Krishna with the Gopis. Rohini sent Subhadra to the gate not to allow anyone to enter before telling the secret stories of Lord Krishna. Then, after some time Krishna and Balarama came there and stood at the door standing on the right and left side of Subhadra. He began listening to Maa Rohini’s narration about childhood stories of Lord Krishna. Narada arrived while he was absorbed in stories. On seeing the three siblings together, Narada asked all the three gods to reveal him divinely in the same posture. Narada’s request was fulfilled and he witnessed the divine manifestation of the three deities, and so all three reside in Jagannath temple Puri.
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Rituals During Rath Yatra
Pahari: It is a ritual in which the deities are taken on a chariot from the Jagannath temple for a journey towards the Gundicha temple. Gundicha is considered a true devotee of Lord Krishna, and the three gods visit him to honor their devotion to Lord Krishna. The statue of Balabhadra is extracted first, followed by the statue of Subhadra and the statue of Jagannath.
Chhera Pahad: This is one of the most important rituals performed on the first day of the yatra. This ritual envisages that all people are equal in the eyes of the gods. To perform this ritual, the Gajapati king wears the uniform of a sweeper and cleans the area around the deities and chariots with clean sweep, sandalwood water with full reverence. The ritual is performed for two days, the first time when the deities are taken to the Gundicha temple and the second time when the deities return to the Jagannath temple. When the three deities arrive at the Gundicha temple, they are given a ceremonial bath and dressed in Borani clothes. The fourth day is celebrated as Hera Panchami, marked by the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi in search of Lord Jagannath.
Astrological Significance
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is dedicated to Lord Jagannath who is considered one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Being one of the major pilgrimages of the Hindus, the Jagannath temple holds immense religious significance. On the occasion of Puri Rath Yatra, devotees are allowed to have darshan of the deities. Rath Yatra in Puri attracts tourists and pilgrims from all corners of the world. Among the foreign visitors, this Rath Yatra is known as Puri Car Festival. It is believed that if a person participates in the Rath Yatra with full devotion, he is freed from the cycle of birth and death. Visiting Lord Jagannath on his chariot is considered very auspicious, and every year these chariots are designed with a special type of wood according to religious specifications. The idols of the deities are also made of wood and are replaced every 12 years.The festival of Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is a symbol of equality, as it is above all forms of discrimination.