Rath Yatra – A Divine Walk of Deities

Festivals are the integral part of India; you can also say that India is recognised with its festivals and people in it. If you start observing keenly every month you have atleast one festival to celebrate in India, not a single month is left out without a festival. So now is the time of the great Rath Yatra of Puri, this is a very famous and grand festival that is celebrated in Orissa. Here in this festival the main deities of the holy place Lord Jagannath, Sri Mandira, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra with their celestial wheel Sudarshana are moved out of the temple precints in a grand procession in their respective chariots. The decoration of the chariots is worth watching, it is so beautiful that you can’t take off your eyes off it. The great chariots are accompanied with huge number of devotees’ very year bada danda, which a striking avenue to the temple of Gundicha, this temple is 2 miles far off and is a place where the deities stay here for seven days and then comes back to the Srimandira.

The place where the Rath Yatra is conducted that is the Puri city which in itself is a famous place for pilgrimage, there are many temples here which are famous among the tourist. The Rath Yatra carried on here portrays the perfect picture of the Indian fair in a huge proportion; I was shocked about reading that this festival sis considered the one of the grandest festival on the earth. Here you can also have a live picture of the tribal, folk and the indigenous with the classical, the elaboration of the socio-cultural-religious philosophy of civilization of India. This festival is recognised by different names at different places and people like Ghosa Jatra, Gundicha Jatra, Dasavatara Jatra and many other names. To the devotees this is the most propitious occasion. You all might know that Jatra is considered to be the most significant part of the all most the holy places; in these Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri Temple is the one of the grandeur yatra of all which is dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The identification of Lord Jagannath is with Krishna and Vishnu. In the true manifestation as Nilamadhaba of Lord Jagannath was worshipped in the scared Banyan tree or Nyagrodha Briksha. It is a belief that the tree branches are spread to symbolize the birth and rebirth. In the Puri city is the influence of Lord Yama, the God of Death, it is a assumption that it is being curtailed in the sacred Puri city, in the divine presence of Lord Jagannath so it is also called as Yamanika Tirtha. Having the glimpse at the chariot of Lord Jagannath is very auspicious; its glory is sanctified by the poets, saints and scriptures of this special fiesta.

During the Orissa Rath Yatra the three chariots of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath are newly constructed every year only with a wood of trees like dhausa, phassi etc and this is brought from the princely state of Dasapalla, here there is a group of special carpenters who have the rights of construction of these chariots. Then during the Rath Yatra these chariots are constructed in a unique manner using bright canopies prepared by the stripes of red cloth in combination with colours like blue, black and yellow, following this the immense huge chariots are lined across the wide avenue in the frontage of the grand temple in the close proximity of the entrance of the temple from the eastern side, this gate is also popularly known as Lion’s Gate or Sinhadwara. It is very interesting that all the three chariots are known by its name, like the chariot of Lord Jagannath is known as Nandighosa, the height of these chariot is 45 feet high and at the wheel level it is 45 sq feet, this chariot as 16 wheels each of having diameter of 7 feet which is decorated with a cover that is made of yellow and red cloth. Lord Jagannath is recognized with Krishna who is also identified as Pitambara, the one garmented in golden yellow robes and hence the distinguishing yellow stripes on the canopy of this chariot. Then is the second chariot of Lord Subhadar which is known as Darpadalana means trampler of pride, the height of this chariot is too 45 feet bearing 12 wheels which as a diameter of seven feet, this chariot is decorated with black and red cloth, you might be wandering why black color is used, this is because the black color is the symbol of power which as association with Shakti, the Mother Goddess.

Then is the third and the last chariot is of Lord Balabhadra which is known as Taladhwaja, this is a chariot which as a palm tree on its flag, the height of this chariot is 44 feet, this chariot bears 14 wheels which have a diameter of 7 feet, red and blue cloth is used to cover this chariot. Around every chariot are 9 Parsva devatas, decorated wooden images on behalf of unlike deities on the sides of the chariots’. Every chariot is tied up with 4 horses. These are of different colours – white ones for Balabhadra, dark ones for Jagannath and red ones for Subhadra. There is a Sarathi for each chariot called as charioteer. The three charioteers attached to the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra respectively are Matali, Daruka and Arjuna. The edifice of the chariots begins on Akshaya Trutiya, the 3rd day of the dazzling fortnight of Vaisakha, with custom fire worship. It is done in the facade of the bastion of the Puri’s King and opposite the main office of the Puri temple; this day is known as the beginning of the summer festival and also known as Chandan Yatra. Before stepping out the idols out of the precints the idols are painted newly and this ritual is known as netrostava.

The great Rath Yatra starts on Asadha Shukla Dwitiya, the second day in the bright fortnight of the 1st monsoon month of the Indian seasonal calendar. After the start of this Yatra millions of devotees throng in here to have a glimpse of this or to be a part of this auspicious festival. The journey of the deities begins with a royal ritual called Pahandi which means moving ahead step by step to the triumph of several devotees beating the ghanta, telingi baja and Kahali. The ultimate ceremony in the merriment is the chariot pulling. First the chariot of Lord Balabhadra is pulled following with that of goddess Subhadra. The climax is done with pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath; the Nandighosha begins its spectacular journey to the temple of Gundicha. Devotees throng in huge numbers and wait patiently the whole day for this sanctified moment are delighted with joy and pull the chariots with a sense of fulfillment. Now where there are three chariots pervious it was six chariots for the Jagannath Puri Yatra.

During this Orissa Rath Yatra, you can see life in entire Orissa, people come together to join in the grand Yatra and take blessings from the deities.