Ratha Jatra

Ratha Jatra

   Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Travelling by Chariots of God Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri and in the other places in Odisha and outside Odisha in Bharat (India) and other places in the world. The festival is celebrated in the hindu calendar of Ashadha month Sukla Paksha Dwitiya tithi (second day of the bright half).The day generally falls on the June or July month of Gregorian calendar. This year Rathayatra falls on 20th June 2023.

   The Sri Jagannatha temple is situated in Puri .The town Puri is present in the east coast of Odisha in India. The deities of the temple are Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana. They called in a single word Chaturdha Murti (means the four idols).The deities of the Jagannatha temple God Jagannatha, God Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel Sudarshana are taken out from the temple in ritual procession called Pahandi to their respective ratha (chariots).

   There are four entrance gates to the Sri Jagannatha temple in east, west, north and south direction. The three chariots stand on the Bada Danda (the Grand Avenue) in front of the temple close to its eastern entrance known as the Singhadwara (means the Lion’s Gate).

   The chariots are drawn by thousands of devotees on the Bada Danda (means the grand avenue) to the Gundicha Mandira (Temple), some two miles away towards the North. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to the Sri Mandira (Jagannatha temple). When the gods go from Sri Mandira to Gundicha Mandira that travelling is known as Gundicha Jatra and when the returned back from the Gundicha Mandira to Sri Mandira that travelling called Bahuda Jatra. The total time duration of going to the Gundicha Mandira and coming back from the Gundicha Mandira is 9 days that is why the Jatra is called Nabadinatmaka Jatra.

 The festival is also known as Ghosa Jatra, Nabadina Jatra, and Dasabatara Jatra. There are three chariots for God Jagannatha, God Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Sudarshana travel in Goddess Subhadra’s chariot. The Chariot of God Balabhadra, is called the Taladhwaja(means the Palm Tree on its flag) has fourteen wheels, each of seven feet diameters and is covered with red and blue cloth. Its height is forty-four feet. The Chariot of Goddess Subhadra, known as Darpadalana (literally means trample of pride) is forty-three feet height with twelve wheels, each of seven feet diameters. The chariot is also known as Debadalana. This Chariot is has covering of red and black cloth, black being traditionally associated with Shakti and the Mother goddess. God Jagannatha’s Chariot is called Nandighosa. It is forty-five feet height. It has sixteen wheels, each of seven feet diameters, and is decorated with a cover made of red and yellow cloth.

   Around each of the chariots, there are nine Parshwa Devatas, of wooden idol representing different deities on the chariots’ sides. Each of the chariots is attached with four horses. They are in different colours – white colour for Balabhadra, black colour for Jagannatha and red colour for Subhadra. Each chariot has a charioteer called Sarathi. The charioteers are attached to the chariots of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra. Their names are Matali, Daruka and Arjuna respectively.

  The three chariots of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannatha are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees customarily brought from Dasapalla, by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privilege for the same.

  There is a sloka in Sanskrit is that Rathe tu Bamanam drushtwa punarjanmam na bidyate. That means when we see the Bamana that is the dwarf incarnation of God Jagannatha then we will get freedom from the Birth and Death cycle.

  The Kathopanishad describes the concept of chariot in Sanskrit as follows

                Atmanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathamebatu

            Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi marah pragrahameba cha

   That means the body is the Chariot and the soul is the deity present in the chariot. The wisdom acts as the charioteer to control the mind and thoughts.

 Different Important Day related to Rathayatra

   

Debasnana Purnima- 4 June 2023

Naba Jaubana Darshana-19 June 2023

Rathayatra-20 June 2023

Hera Panchami-24 June 2023

Bahuda Yatra-28 June 2023