- Area: Whole Orissa
- Dates: June 20, 2023
- Begins: Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya
- Ends: Ashadha Shukla Dashami
Ratha Yatra is the beautiful festival of Raths or Chariots that belongs to Lord Jagannath’s which is celebrated each year at Puri Temple that is located in the town of Orissa that lies on eastern region, India. The presiding lord of the chief temple, Lord Balabhadra, Sri Mandira, , Lord Jagannatha and the Goddess Subhadra with the outer wheel known as Sudarshana are carried out in a procession while performing the rituals of the yatra. There are huge and colorful raths or the chariots that has been dedicated to each one of them and they are followed one after another. There are thousands of disciples attending this festival and striving to touch Bada Danda. It marks its beginning from the temple known as Gundicha which is situated at the distance of 2 kilometers away from the main temple of Jagannath’s Temple. After a week, the deities of the Jagannath’s return to abode Sri Mandira.
Rath Jatra or Rath Yatra is one of the biggest festivals celebrated on the earth. Everything has been panned to pleased God Jagannath. It is full of manifestation, colors and drama and can be said it is the festival that has the total Indian Blend, tradition and rituals in it. It also has the lie performances done by the people residing their and the devotees those are visiting from the various part of the country and the entire world. The performance may be of the classical dance form, a tribal show or the folk way to entertain the people there that have the blend of sophistication and the socio-traditional-religious -culture that lies in the heart of Indians.
Significance of the Rath Yatras
The fiesta is also popular by its name Gundicha Jatra, Navadina Jatra, Ghosa Jatra, Dashavatar Jatra along with the various other names. It is considered to be most propitious occasion for the believers and devotees of the Jagannath. Rathe tu Vaamanam drustva Punarjanmam na vidyate and many other shlokas are performed during the rituals and pooja during the fest. Also, one can see the glimpse of Vamana which is in the form of dwarf and also a manifestation of Lord Jagannath is performed to ensure the emancipation that released him from the sequence of death and birth.
Yatra is the most indispensable ingredient of the ceremony of the Hindu Religion while worshipping the god. Yatra means to travel or the journey. Usually, it is considered to be the representative of the lord of the temple that is present inside the temple mostly known as the Utsava Murti that lies in the south and the Chalanti Pratima and The Bije Pratima that lies in the region of Orissa, pratek in this journey. It is believed that the head idols of the temple do come out from the temples to bless their devotees. The Yatra is most significant part of the festival and all the ceremonies and ritual do take part while the Yatra.
It is one of the unique and the most important a festival that is celebrated in the grand way by the devotees to show their faith and belief in the God Jagannath. It is believed that he had manifested himself to emancipate the kindness and to alleviate them from the bad sufferings. Lord Jagannath is considered to be the Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu. In his appearance Nilamadhaba, people worshipped him on a holy place Nyagrodha Briksha or the Banyan tree. It is believed that this tree is very huge and the braches of this tree has spread miles away making sure that the people entering this region will be emancipated from factor of rebirth and birth. In reality, the deity of Death, Yama was about to be condensed in the consecrated city of Puri. Puri is also known as the Shree Kshetra just because the charisma of Lord Jagannath and hence it even known as known as Yamanika Tirth.
Only the glimpse of the idol of Jagannath during the Yatra is considered to be very auspicious thing. The saints, scriptures and the poets have been continuously overvalued the holiness of this special festivals.
The actual perception of the Yatra is explained briefly in the Kathopanishad in the below words:
Atmanam rathinam viddhi sareeram rathamevatu
Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi marah pragrahameva cha.
Chariot is the body and the deity is the soul that has been bed in the Rath. The knowledge acts as a charioteer to manage the thoughts and the mind.
The glory and the sacredness of the Chariot Yatra have been explained in the Skanda Purana are in the following words:
Gundicha mandapam namam yatrahamajanam pura
Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat.
There are many people who are quite fortunate witness the divine being of the Srimandira that belongs to Gundicha Temple which is the ultimate destination for the rituals performed in the chariots. There are many benefits from the sacrifices of the horse which is immensely religious endeavor. Kabi Samrat and Upendra Bhanja are the famous Vaidehas that mentions about the coming out of the soul of the Jagannath in the Gundicha Jatra that marks the other name for Rath Yatra. There are Patita Jana that holds the opportunities to carry their dear god and view them closely during the ending session of the Yatra. In the similar manner, the poet also describes that the swaying away and moving just like elephants during the huge walk and rides of the Rath are able to destroy and flash away all the sins of follower, even if they are unpardonable.
- Also Read: Most Popular Festivals of Odisha
