Ratha Yatra Indian Culture | What is Ratha Yatra | Why it is celebrated

Ratha Yatra

"Atmanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu, Buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manaha pragrahameva tu, Indriyani hayanyahur vishayansteshu gocharan,"

Ratha Yatra

The word Rath Yatra translates as the journey of chariots. This is the most important festival in Orissa. The festival is dedicated to the Lord Jagannath who is believed to be a living incarnation of Lord Krishna.

The festival of Rath Yatra is celebrated in the month of Ashadha. The actual day and date of the festival may vary according to the different regions. Hindus celebrate this festival with a lot of pomp and grandeur. The festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and his siblings- Lord Balaram and Devi Subhadra(sister of Lord Krishna).

The festival is observed by pulling chariots, which are the replicas of the one used by Lord Jagannath during his annual journey, from the Jagannath Temple in Puri to its summer residence in Gundicha Temple, 3 miles away.

Recent years have seen a remarkable step up in the scale and grandeur of Rath Yatra celebrations. The number of chariots is ever increasing from two to four to six, eight, twelve, twenty-four and more. These are elaborately decorated and well-pulled by thousands of devotees who are willing to walk many miles barefooted to take part in the celebration.

The festival is an occasion for celebration and pageantry, in which religious fervor and devotion is combined with an almost festive mood. It is also the day when the ruling monarchs would offer their status symbol, a golden broom, to God Jagannatha.

Every year the deities of Jagannath Mandir - Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra - are traditionally installed on huge chariots. Devotees pull the chariots in a yatra (procession) through the streets.

Why it is celebrated

About nine hundred years ago, the courageous and pious King Shiladitya of the Bhaumakara dynasty brought the deity of Lord Vishnu, Jagannath, to Puri from his ancestral seat of Shriparvata on the south coast. The king had a divine vision that he would rule for many years only if he installed Jagannath at Puri and offered Him regularly worship. The king made elaborate arrangements for bringing the deity to Puri. He engaged thirty thousand expert craftsmen to carve a beautiful chariot out of rare sandalwood. It took them twelve years to complete the work.

This chariot is considered one of the wonders of medieval India. The exquisitely carved structure is exquisitely ornamented with bronze images of gods, birds and animals.

To initiate the process of sanctification, Indrayumna and the people of the tribe constructed a chariot, or ratha (“chariot”). They then placed the deity of Lord Krishna onto the chariot. After seven days of worship and prayer, the priests and the people were ready to start the Rath Yatra. The Ratha Yatra is a festival that celebrates the journey of Krishna. It is celebrated every year on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya. The first day of Ashadha month is known as Uthana Dwadashi or Sayana Dwadashi.

The Ratha or Chariot is a traditional vehicle used across India even today. The construction of a chariot involves woodwork, metalwork, cooking art forms, and sewing. The chariots are decorated with flowers and are made in different styling according to each region or state.

The King carried out the process of carving, and thus was born Lord Balarama and Lord Krishna in the form of structures. Thus, Ratha Yatra is celebrated as the festival of idols.

Nandbaba, who was also present there, took the partially burned body and put it on Garuda, the celestial carrier and all of them started sailing to the eastern coast. There, from the ocean surface rose a huge wave. Being an ardent ocean lover, Lord Krishna used his magical powers to bring down the tidal wave in his direction. A boat, which was passing by at that time, was swallowed by this wave.

Indradyumna, on his terrace, saw all this happen and understood that he was dreaming about Lord Krishna's procession to Jagannath Puri. The next morning he invited all the villagers to see what had come to shore. But there was nothing except two trunks of Bilva tree floating ashore and in them were the two silver urns containing Lord's ash remains. The king covered them with sandalwood paste and built a temple around them.

The King ordered his men to look out for such a body, but in vain. It was by sheer divine intervention that the King found the body floating near the Puri beach and the King performed the "Sandhi Puja" (Inter-ment) ceremony and cremated it according to Vedic traditions. The spot is known as "Deula Pitha" (place where Lord's body rested)and Lord Jagannath Temple was built there, which is considered to be one of the most sacred temples of India.

The three Brother nd Sister, Balaram, Subhadra and Jagannath, Lord Krishna still reside in the temple of Puri. The "Ratha Jatra"or car festival is performed every year with great pomp and splendor.

He then decided to go out in search of the body that was floating on the waters.

Indradyumna who was a worshiper of Lord Jagannath, heard about Balaram and Subhadra's plans to float the dead body of Krishna down the Ganga. He then offered his ship to take them there. During the journey, they sailed through the Arabian Sea, past Sri Lanka, and through the Bay of Bengal. A strong storm uprooted the mast but still they continued their journey, only to end up on an unknown shore.

When the king heard this he was worried. He armed the people with weapons to drive him away. The carpenter, however, laughed at the king. He asked him to come closer and opened his mouth wide as if to swallow him and his men. Seeing all this the king fainted. When he regained consciousness he thanked Vishwakarma for helping the people of Mathura. He also promised that he will build a temple in his honor.

The carpenter then asked the king to carve out Lord's eight parts and prepare them as a gift for Goddess Lakshmi. After that, Vishwakarma disappeared, and so did the sculptures he had created with his chisels

Vishwakarma appeared in the royal court of Raja Purushottam Das, the ruler of Orissa.

The king had fallen sleep after having a dream during the process of Rath Yatra which seems to be true. In his dream, Lord Jagannath had expressed his desire to stay with his sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra at Puri during Rath Yatra. The dream came true and Rath Yatra was started. But the question was who would carve the statues.

The king found the splinters of bone (asthi) and took them. But the question was who would carve the statues. It is believed that the Gods' architect, Vishwakarma, arrived as an old carpenter. He made it clear that while carving the statues nobody should disturb him, and in case anybody did, he would vanish leaving the work unfinished.