Detailed Information about Rath Yatra Festival in Puri, Orissa & Its Importance

Indeed India is incredible and this incredibleness is due to its people and the many cultures that stay so harmoniously intermingled into each other that they reflect an example of universal brotherhood and unity among the Indians. Every Indian irrespective of the religion and the caste takes pride in the celebration of these festivals. In India we have a calendar flooded with festivals and popping from the different states of the country painted in the regional colors of that part. The "Rath Yatra" or the "Roth Jatra" is the famous festival of the state of Odisha that is usually held in the mid summer month on the second day of the "Sukla Paksha" in the month of Asadh according to the Hindu calendar.

The Rath Yatra of Puri is internationally popular for the huge crowds that are pulled from around the world to see the marvellous pieces of the architectures, the wooden chariots built in the form of the temples and decorated with the wonderful clothes that are painted bright. Lord Jagannath is worshipped and taken on a ride across the city. Three chariots are brought out during this time; the chariot of Lord Jagannath his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Lord jagannath is popularly known to as lord Krishna to the people.

The biggest chariot belongs to lord Jagannath and it has 18 wheels and is usually 23 cubits high and is called "Nandigosha", the second biggest Rath or the chariot belongs to Balabhadra which rolls on 16 wheels and reaches to a height of 22 cubits and is called the Taladhvajahas and finally the smallest of the three chariots belongs to lord Krishna's sister Subhadra, that rests on 14 wheels and is 21 cubits high. The chariot is called the Devadalana. The chariots are pulled with very much enthusiasm and joy. the ceremony of the pulling of the chariots of is known as rath tana which is usually held in the late afternoon time and before it in the early morning the "Ratha Prasthan" or the invoking ceremony is performed by the priests with the proper rituals and the recitation of the mantras.

The Raths are again taken out in succession with the chariot of Lord Jagannath in the front followed by the chariot of Balabhadra and then the Rath of sister Subhadra. It is believed that these three deities go out for a vacation during this time and to mark this, the procession is taken out. As the procession and moves on it stops at the Mausima (Aunt) temple were it is believed that Lord Jagannath has his favourite meal of the sweet pan cakes.

Many artisans and the craftsmen gather at the Puri for the weaving and the painting of the huge 1200 metres of the clothes required decorating the chariots. The huge amount of the clothing required for the decoration is donated by the Orissa government run mill and also the Bombay based century textile mill.

The festival also has some significance in some other parts of the country as in Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Mahesh in Hooghly district of west Bengal where the festival is celebrated but with less grandeur.