You and the world know about Lord Jagannath of the state Odisha puri. Every year a huge amount of devoted comes to this place. Here in this district of Odisha lord Jagannath temple and with this, there are many temples are there. The famous part of this place and of Lord Jagannath is the rath yatra. It is famous for puri rath yatra. It is also known as cart festival. Every year this festival of Lord Jagannath is going on since so long.
Here with this post, you are going to know all about this Ratha Yatra festival. As you know Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is a famous festival in the world. Not only in puri but also all over the world this festival is taken its place. There are many small things about this festival those here you are going to know.
Let us know the detail about puri Ratha yatra
What is this festival?
In this festival lord, Jagannath with elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra travels to the birthplace with a huge crowd. Here also Sudarshana chakra travels with the lord. They travel with three chariots. These three chariots decorate with different color clothes and the design of these three chariots are like temple shape. Gundicha Mandira (Temple) also known as “Mausi ma Mandira” (temple).
With brother and sister lord travels to Gundicha temple. It is around 2 km from the main temple of the lord. They stay there for nine days and then returns to their main temple. The returning day from Gundicha temple called as Bahuda Jatra.
The street on which these three chariots travels to Gundicha temple called as “Badadanda”. Here on this place of the lord, there is a name for everything that you are seeing at this place. All have their unique name and these names are going on from the old days.
The time this festival comes every year
Every year on Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya or the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha month. You can say in the month of July this festival took its place.
At the same day not only in puri but also in another place of Odisha, India and all over the world this festival celebrates.
About the three chariots
Making process of three chariots starts from “Akshaya Trutiya”. All these three are made up of new and fresh wood. Every year require bale amount of wood reaches to puri. Also, there is a special forest made for the lord. From there also these get collected.
The inauguration process made in front of puri king. Also from this day on “Akshaya Trutiya” farmers also start their new seasons by plowing their fields.
Height, name, and the amount of wheel of every chariot has different. “Nadighosha” is the name of Lord Jagannath’s chariots. It has 16 wheels. Around 832 wooden pieces used to make this chariots. Height is around 44 feet and 2 inches. Color of wrapping clothes are red and yellow.
“Taladhwaja” is the name of Lord Balabhadra’s chariots. It is 14 wheels. Two wheels less from Lord Jagannath’s chariots. Around 763 wooden pieces use here. Height of the chariots is 43 feet 3 inches. Red and green color clothes are uses here for decoration.
“Darpadalana”, it is sister Subhadra’s chariot name. It has 12 wheels. 593 wooden pieces used to make this. Height is around 42 feet 3 inches. Red and black color clothes use for decoration.
With all these three chariots there are charioteer, flag, horses, rope, guide are there for everyone. All these are made with wood and rope made with coconut. There are many other gods with every chariot. They all travel with the lord.
On the festival day
On this festival day or on rath yatra day, early morning all the process of lord gets over as scheduled time. For this day there is a special schedule made every year to make all work on time.
Then process for bringing lord to chariots being started. At first, it is the time for “Sudarshana” and “Sudarshana” travels with Lord Jagannath’s chariot. Then elder brother “Balabhadra”, sister ”Subhadra” and finally it’s time for Lord Jagannath comes to chariots. This process is called “Pahandi”.
All they placed on their own chariots. After that at the scheduled time the process of “Chera Pahanra” done by king of Puri. It is the process that there some special worship done by the king.
After that, all wait for the time to keep pull and make reach three chariots to their place that is “Gundicha Temple”. It may gate over on that day and sometime if it is gone evening then in which point evening and darkness being started, at that place time to stop pulling chariots. Then after that day the distance to be over again by pulling.
Here Lord spends nine days. On ninth day its time to come back to the main temple. This day called “Bahuda Jatra”. Again on this day, all these processes happening as you read above. Then by evening three chariots get reach in front of the main temple.
Suna Besha
It is the day three deities to be decorated with only gold ornaments. Around 200 kg of gold is being applied to three deities. After three chariots reach in front of the main temple on “Bahuda Jatra”. Day after returning to the main temple this tradition takes its place. As the day of the first day that is Ratha yatra day on this day also there are a huge amount of people gathers to take blessings.
This tradition was being started from 1460 by the king “Kapilendra Deb”. From that day on every year, it is being continued.
The decoration of deities is done by the special worshipper for this work only. Here let you know that there are many worshippers at the temple for every work of deities. Like for food preparation, there is a special group, like this there are many to the worshiper of deities.
To keep safe and for decoration of deities with gold done by the worshipper. For three deities there are different gold ornaments. To see this beautiful worship and get a blessing from the lord, visit once on this day to puri.
Return to the main temple
As you read all above-mentioned traditions to take its place and after all this completion, this time to back to the main temple. Before this, the last is “Adhara Pana” or for your understanding, you can say a special type of juice is to make then it is to god bless.
After that, the pot it contains is broken on the chariots. On all three chariots, this thing happens.
After this tradition, it’s time to going back to the main temple, with sounds and cracker with a huge crowd.
On this day Ratha yatra is finished. Then three chariots are to separate and a devotee can keep it as the rule is thereby the temple trust.
Conclusion
From the above post now you have an idea about Ratha yatra of Puri or “Ratha Jatra” of Odisha. If anything you need to know, leave a comment below and this information you are seeing here from our best of knowledge. As this is written from a person of Odisha. keep share this post and come once in your life to get the blessing of “Jagannath”.
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