Ratha Yatra, Puri, Odisha

The Festival of Chariots: Chariots of Lord Jagannath, better known as Ratha Yatra is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Odisha, on the second (dwitiya) day of shukla pakhya (waxing cycle of moon) of Āshādha Māsa (3rd month of Odia calendar). This nine-day festivity marked by various rituals and traditions going to be held during 1st to 9th July 2023, during the rainy season in Odisha. The presiding deities of the Jagannath Temple, Puri's main temple, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel - Sudarshana Chakra are removed from the temple in a ceremonial procession to their chariots. The huge, colourfully decorated chariots are drawn by multitude of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha Temple (Gundicha– King Indradyumna's Queen), two miles away to the North. On their way back from the Gundicha Temple, the three deities stop for a while near the Mausi Maa Temple (Aunt's abode) and have an offering of the Poda Pitha, which is a special type of pancake supposed to be the Lord's favourite. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode. As per the deion in the Skanda Purana, among the twelve Yatras of Lord Jagannatha, Ratha Yatra or Shree Gundicha Yatra is considered the most famous one.According to ‘Bamadev Samhita’ those who can witness four deities on the Simhasana (the sacred seat) of Gundicha Temple for a week, they along with their ancestors would get a place in the heavenly abode i.e. Baikuntha for all time to come. As per this text those who can hear about this great festival they also get the desired result. Besides this, those who study the rituals of the divine festival and make other aware of the same they can also get a place in his holy abode. The Ratha Yatra of the ‘four dieties’ takes place on the 2nd day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha for the overall well-being of the mankind. In the Skanda purana it has been described that no festival of Mahaprabhu is more important than that of the Shree Gundicha yatra. Because, Shree Hari the supreme Lord of the cosmos rides & his chariot in a very delightful mood to the Gundicha Temple to fulfil His pledged command. As the chariot is a symbol of ‘Sandhini Sakti’ mere touch of the chariot would confer compassion of Lord Shree Jagannatha on the devotees. The famous verse in this context is as follows: ‘Ratha tu Vamanam drustva punarjanma na vidyate.