chandan-yatra

Chandan Yatra A Holy Festival of Jagannath Temple at Puri

In Jagannath temple at Puri varied festivals are greatly admired throughout the year. Among miscellaneous festivals of Puri Jagannath temple (Shree Mandir) the Chandan Yatra festival or literally called Sandalwood paste festival is unique and the longest festival of this temple. The meaning of Chandan Yatra in Sanskrit is Sandalwood Voyage in this festival Jagannath and five Shivalingas known as the Pancha Pandava are taken in a procession from the Singhadwara or the Lion Gate of the Jagannath temple to the Narendra Tirtha tank for bathing ceremony of lord Jagannath. it’s a 42 days ceremony that is divide in to two parts one is Bahara Chandana starts from Akshaya Tritiya and continues for 21 days and another is Bhitara Chandana that is occur in rest 21 days. During these days many rituals are straightly followed by Pandas of Shree Mandir.

Devotees in Chandan Yatra

Lord Jagannath is the main deity of Odisha, according to Hindu and Jain community peoples believes Lord Jagannath is the reform of Lord Vishnu (most powerful God of Hindu religion), so people of Hindu community always wants to participate in all festivals and ceremonies of Lord Jagannath. Mostly in Rath Yatra and Chandan Yatra like big festivals millions of devotees from different locations come to Puri and become part of these festivals.

Chandan Yatra and Puri Tourism

Well Chandan Yatra is a very important and long festival, and many different rituals are happen in different days of this festival. Each and every ritual have its own importance an well as have unique flavor, tourist love to watch these rituals, so in Puri tour packages tourist demand to include Chandan Yatra tour. Puri Tourism is well known in all over the globe, tourist from foreign countries visit Puri for tour especially for religion tour, temples tour or for beach tour. Along with Jagannath Temple in Puri many other old temples are present those are glorious and the art on those temples are pleasant, the Puri beach is one of the happening beach that gives highest amount of pleasure to visitors. So tourist love Puri tourism, and when Chandan Yatra and Rath Yatra types of festivals are occurred then tourist prefer to visit Puri during these time frame, they got two goals on a single time and cost, they enjoyed Puri tour as well as they participate in a holy ceremony of lord Jagannath.