Jagannath Rath Yatra

Jagannath Rath Yatra

News: The Jagannath Rath Yatra began on 20th June in Odisha and was also celebrated in other parts of India.

What is Jagannath Rath Yatra?
• Jagannath Rath yatra is a Hindu festival that celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra from their temple in Puri, Odisha to their aunt’s temple in Gundicha.
• It is also known as the Festival of Chariots because the deities are carried on huge wooden chariots that are pulled by devotees. The festival is one of the most important and oldest in India, and attracts millions of pilgrims and tourists every year.
• This year, the festival started on June 20 and will end on June 28.

What are the chariots made of?
• The chariots are made by expert carpenters known as Maharana who have the hereditary rights to make them. They use over 4,000 pieces of wood to construct the chariots over 42 days.
• The chariots are decorated with colourful fabrics, paintings and flags. Each chariot has a different size, colour and number of wheels.
• Lord Jagannath’s chariot is called Nandighosha. It is 45 feet high and has 16 wheels. It is covered with red and yellow cloth.
• Lord Balabhadra’s chariot is called Taladhwaja. It is 44 feet high and has 14 wheels. It is covered with red and green cloth.
• Devi Subhadra’s chariot is called Darpadalana. It is 43 feet high and has 12 wheels. It is covered with red and black cloth.

About Jagannathpuri Temple:
• It is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu.
• It was built by King Indradyumna of Avanti, and rebuilt by King Anantavarman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in the 10th century CE.
• It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites, along with Badrinath, Dwarka and Rameswaram.
• The architectural style of Jagannath puri temple is Kalinga architecture.
• Jagannath Puri temple is called 'Yamanika Tirtha' where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of 'Yama', the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath. This temple was called the “White Pagoda”.