The festival of Rath Yatra is one of the major festivals of India and it is celebrated with great reverence and gaiety across the country, but its grandest event is seen in Jagannathpuri of Orissa state. Jagannathpuri Temple at Puri is one of the four states of India.
It is also one of the oldest temples in India and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Krishna, Balarama and their sister Goddess Subhadra. This Rath Yatra starts on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadha month. On this day a large number of devotees from all over the country and abroad come to Puri to participate in the Rath Yatra festival.
In the year 2021, the festival of Rath Yatra will be celebrated on Monday, July 12.
Why is Rath Yatra celebrated? (Why Do We Celebrate Rath Yatra)
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival of Rath Yatra is celebrated on the second date of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh month. There are many mythological and historical beliefs and stories about the origin of this festival. According to one story, King Indradyumna lived near Nilanchal Sagar (present day Orissa region) along with his family.
Once he saw a giant wood floating in the sea. The king got that wood out of the sea and seeing the beauty of that wood, thought that Jagdish's idol should be made from this wood. He was contemplating this when Vishwakarma, the architect of the gods, appeared there in the form of an old carpenter.
To make the idol of Lord Jagdish, Vishwakarma, who appeared in the guise of an old carpenter, put a condition that till I make the idol in the room, no one should come in the room. The king accepted his condition. In today's time, where there is a temple of Shri Jagannath ji, that old carpenter got engaged in the construction work of idol.
The king and his family did not know that it was Vishwakarma himself, so after several days passed, the queen felt that the old carpenter had not died due to starvation in her room for many days. The Queen also told this doubt to the king and when the Maharaja opened the door of the room, the old carpenter was not found anywhere, but the semi-made wooden idols of Shri Jagannath, Subhadra and Balarama were found there by him.
The king and queen became very sad due to this incident. But at the same time, miraculously, there was a voice from Akash that 'Don't be sad in vain, we want to stay in this form and get the idols sanctified with material etc.'. Even today, the same semi-finished idols are enshrined in the Jagannathpuri temple. Whose devotees worship with so much reverence and these idols are also included in the Rath Yatra.
With the aim of fulfilling the desire of Mata Subhadra to visit Dwarka, Shri Krishna and Balarama had done the Rath Yatra sitting in separate chariots. In the memory of Mata Subhadra's city tour, this program of Rath Yatra is organized every year in Puri with so much pomp. It is believed that the devotee who pulls the chariot by participating in this Rath Yatra attains salvation.
How Rath Yatra is Celebrated - Custom and Tradition (How Do We Celebrate Rath Yatra – Custom and Tradition of Rath Yatra)
The festival of Rath Yatra has started from Jagannath Puri itself. After this this festival started being celebrated all over India. At the beginning of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, the descendants of the old kings traditionally sweep in front of the chariot of Lord Jagannath with a gold-handled broom and after that the Rath Yatra begins with chants.
With the beginning of the Rath Yatra, many traditional instruments are played and hundreds of people pull the chariot with thick ropes amidst its sound. In the forefront is the chariot of Balabhadra i.e. Balarama. After a while the chariot of Subhadra ji starts moving. Lastly, people pull Jagannath's chariot with great reverence. Regarding Rath Yatra, it is believed that on this day a person attains salvation by helping in pulling the chariot.
This is the reason why on this day devotees are eager to pull the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Subhadra ji and Lord Jagannath. This Rath Yatra of Jagannath ji is completed after reaching Gundecha temple. This is the same place where Vishwakarma ji had built all the three idols.
This place is considered to be the home of the aunt of the Lord. If a chariot is not able to reach Gundecha temple by sunset then it completes the journey the next day. The Lord stays at this place for a week and he is also worshiped here. The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath ji begins on Ashadh Shukla Dashami. This Rath Yatra is called Bahuda Yatra.
The Tano Rathas reach the Jagannath Temple before dusk. Where for a day the idols are kept in the chariot for the devotees to see. The next day the idols of the deities are re-established in the temple with chanting of mantras and with this the complete program of Rath Yatra comes to an end. During this festival, fairs are also organized at many places across the country.
Modern Tradition of Rath Yatra
This festival of Rath Yatra is very ancient and it is being celebrated all over India for a long time. It has always been a symbol of reverence for the people, which is why on this day a large number of devotees come to Puri in Orissa to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath.
Due to the lack of resources in the past, most of the devotees from far and wide celebrate this holy festival of Rath Yatra.
