ratha-yatra-puri

The World Famous Rath yatra festival Of Odisha

Ratha-Yatra or Chariot festival is a prominent Odia festival celebrated in Puri, Odisha. In this holy festival the three deities lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra of Shree Mandir shove off the temple and visit to their aunt’s house (Gundicha Temple located 3 km away from Jagannath temple) for a tour. As three deities use Ratha (Deula or temple shaped chariot made of woods) so this festival is called as Car festival or Chariot festival but in Odia language devotees called it Ratha-Yatra. The word Ratha-Yatra is a combination of two words, one is Rath (Chariot or Car) and other is Yatra (Festival) so it’s a festival of chariot in which lord of lord Jagannath travel to their aunt (Mausi Maa) house.

Overview of Rath-Yatra Festival of Puri Jagannath Mandir

This festival is one of the biggest festivals for Odisha people as well as for Hindu and Jain religion people. The significant ritual of Rath Yatra festival is straightly followed. To worship and watch lord Jagannath in Rath millions of devotees from different countries visited to Puri. Mostly in rainy season in month of June or July this holy festival occurs. Thousands of people started preparation for this festival before 2 or 3 months, the big chariots in which lord Jagannath travel to Gundicha temple is made with wood and pulled by the devotees. It’s believed that by pulling the chariot in Raht Yatra people earn shrine.

Celebration of Rath-Yatra Festival in all over the world

The Rath Yatra Festival in New York, Festival at Dhamrai, Bangladesh, The Rath Yatra at Mahesh, Serampore, West Bengal, festival is now days celebrated in all over the globe, in European countries, American counties also this great festival is celebrated with heart full of happiness. Rath Yatra Festival in New York, Festival at Dhamrai, Bangladesh, The Rath Yatra at Mahesh, Serampore and West Bengal etc are the places where people widely celebrate Rath Yatra. Within Odisha also in different districts Ratha-Yatra festival is celebrated specially in Dhenkanal district in which Chariot of Balabhara begins before Puri, after the chariot in Dhenkanal started traveling in Puri Ratha-Yatra started. Here many types of rituals are happened during the festival such as Niladri Bije, chhera pahara, Pahandi vijay etc many more tourist love to watch these with their bare eyes.