Rath Yatra festival 2017 would be celebrated in India on 25th of June, at Sunday.

History of Ratha Yatra Festival

Ratha Yatra festival is celebrated every year at second day of the shukla pakshya of the month of Ashad in the Orissa state of India at Puri to perform the procession of the Lord Jagannath chariots from the Puri Jagannath temple to the Gundicha Mata Temple through the Mausi Maa Temple. The chariots having the statue of Hindu God and Goddess are attractively decorated with colorful flowers. The procession held at Mausi Maa Temple for some time to complete the offerings.

The holy procession includes highly decorated three chariots (for Lord Puri Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra) much similar to temple which are pulled by the electric system or by the devotees throughout the streets at Puri. This festival is celebrated to complete the journey of Lord Puri Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra including their sister Subhadra to their aunt’s home means Gundicha Mata Temple. This festival attracts a huge crowd of the devotees from all over the world to take part in the holy procession of the God as well as fulfill their heartily wishes. People involved in the chariots pulling sing devotional songs, mantras with the sound of drum.

Significance of Ratha Yatra Festival

Yatra is the most famous and ritual part of the worship in the Hindu religion. It may be of two types, one is the Yatra made by the devotees all around the temple and another one is the Chariot Yatra of the Hindu deities in a well decorated chariot from one temple to another. Ratha Yatra is also the second type of the Yatra celebrated annually to perform the journey of Lord Jagannath with Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra from the Puri Jagannath temple to the Gundicha Mata Temple. It is considered that the Vamana avatar means the dwarf form of the Lord Vishnu was an incarnation of the Lord Jagannath (who is free from the cycle of birth and death).

Yatra is the most significant event occurred during the special and sacred occasions of the Hindu religion. Lord Jagannath is the Hindu deity whom incarnation was the Lord Krishna on the earth in the Dwaper Yuga. This special festival of holy journey of the chariot is carried out by the devotees, saints, scriptures, poets chanting the holy mantras and devotional songs. People want to touch the chariot or even ropes pulling the chariot to be blessed by the God. Devotees sing a special Oriya song at this day while pulling the holy chariot on wheels.

How Ratha Yatra is celebrated in Puri

The whole festival celebration includes three huge attractively decorated chariots resembling temple structures drawn throughout the streets at Puri. This holy festival is celebrated for nine days by the Hindu devotees to commemorate the holy journey of the Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra including their sister Goddess Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple situated at 2 km distance from the Puri Jagannath temple. During the festival celebration, millions of Hindu devotees from all over the world come to the destination to be the part of celebration and get blessed with lots of blessings of the Lord Jagannath.

People pull chariots by singing devotional songs on the sound of drums and trumpets including other musical instruments. The whole celebration of the sacred festival gets broadcasted live on the various TV channels all through the India and abroad. Chariots construction works starts at Akshaya Trutiya in front of the Puri palace using woods of special trees such as dhausa, phassi and etc brought from the other state by the team of carpenter.

All the huge chariots are brought to the majestic temple at the Sinhadwara or Lion’s Gate. The chariot of the Lord Jagannath is entitled as the Nandighosa chariot having 45 feet height, 45 feet width, 16 wheels of 7 foot diameter and decorated red and yellow cloths. The chariot of Lord Balarama is entitled as Taladhwaja chariot having 44 feet height, 14 wheels of 7 foot diameter and decorated with red, blue or black cloths.