Puri Rath Yatra: The Divine Journey

Puri Rath Yatra 2014: A Blissful Pilgrimage

Puri Rath Yatra 2014 will begin on 29th June. Puri Rath Yatra is the biggest pilgrimage that takes place in India. Puri, located in Odisha celebrates Rath-Yatra, also known as the Chariot festival, every year on Ashad Shukla Dwitiya. This festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath. It is said that Lord Jagannath is one of the Avatars of Lord Vishnu and he is being worshipped on this festival along with Balabhadra, his brother and Subhadra, his sister by thousands of his dedicated devotees.

The Celebrations of Puri Rath Yatra

Puri Rath Yatra, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, is celebrated with all fervour on the streets of Puri. These streets are known as Bada Danda. The main attractions of this festival, which makes it different from other festivals celebrated in India, are the chariots. There are three chariots, one for Lord Jagannath, the second for lord Balabhadra and the third for goddess Subhadra. These chariots are built beautifully. Deities are put in these chariots and are pulled by the devotees in a large procession.

It is believed that, every year in summers, Lord Jagannath along with his siblings, Balbhadra and Subhadra goes on a vacation to his garden palace and while returning back the three of them take rest in their aunts residence. This belief of his devotees has lead to this big celebration through the means of the Rath Yatra in Puri. The journey begins from Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is the main Temple, from where, the three deities are carried on their huge and beautifully designed respective chariots in a big procession through Bada Danda to the Gundicha Temple. It is at a distance of about 2 km from the main temple. On their way back from Gundicha Temple, the deities are carried to the Mausi Maa temple which is their aunts residence, where they stay for seven days. Poda-pitha, a special type of pancake, which is said to be Lord Jagannaths favorite, is offered to them in this temple. After the completion of seven days, the Gods are carried back to their home temple.

The Chariots of Puri Rath Yatra

The biggest attraction of Puri Rath Yatra are the giant chariots. These chariots are beautifully constructed and have a Temple like structure. Each of the three deities has their own chariot. Each chariot is designed accordingly and has certain specifications. The description of each chariot is given below:

• Nandighosha- The chariot of Lord Jagannath
  It has 16 wheels. 832 wooden pieces are used to construct it. It is 442 feet high. The length and breadth of the chariot is 346*346. The wrapping used to decorate this chariot is of red and yellow colored cloths. The reason behind the usage of yellow colored cloth is said to be the identification of Lord Jagannath with Lord Vishnu, who is also known as Pitambar.
• Taladhwaja- The chariot of Lord Balabhadra
  It has 14 wheels. 763 wooden pieces are used to construct it. It is 433 feet high and its length and breadth is 33 *33. It has a palm tree on its flag. It is wrapped with bluish green and red colored cloth.
• Darpadalna- The chariot of goddess Subhadra
  It has 12 wheels and the number of wooden pieces used is 593. It is 423 feet high. It is covered with red and black cloth, wherein the black color resembles shakti or the power.

Significance of Puri Rath Yatra

Every year Puri Rath Yatra attracts thousands of people, who become a part of this pilgrimage. It is said that the people who participate in this Yatra get liberated. They free themselves from the thoughts of birth and death. To see these magnificent chariots live, is magical and at the same time is said to be very auspicious by the saints. People get themselves freed from all the evils. It is very pious to touch these chariots.

Millions of people not only from India but, also from all around the world visit Puri to be a part of this privileged Puri Rath Yatra. This festival is so huge that around thousands of people are engaged in organizing the whole festival. Many carpenters, designers and artists are engaged in designing the chariots, as every year new chariots are constructed. Security measures are also very high as so many people are involved in Puri Rath Yatra. All the people, whether they are rich or poor, or belonging to any of the social classes, participate in this Rath-Yatra of Puri. So, in a way, it is also a festival of celebrating togetherness and unity. At the end we hope that Puri Rath Yatra brings harmony and happiness for all of us. A very happy and prosperous Puri Rath Yatra 2014.