Jagannath Rath Yatra

When is the Jagannath Rath Yatra in 2020?

23 June 2020 (Tuesday)

Jagannath Rath Yatra festival as per the traditional Oriya calendar begins on the second day of Shukla Paksha of the Hindu lunar month of Ashadha. This year it will start on 23rd June, 2020.

This colorful festival of Puri, Jagannath Yatra attracts millions of people from all around the world. People also know this festival as ‘Car Festival’. As per belief, Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the universe, steps out of his Sanctum Sanctorum. In order to get his blessings and attain salvation, people of all communities participate in this Car Festival.

Lord Jagannath is also considered as another form of Lord Vishnu. Jagannath Temple is one of the four Sanctum Sanctorums of India. These four Holy stations are collectively known as ‘Char Dham’. It is believed that if a person travels through all these four Holy Sanctum Sactorums attains salvation.

At Puri, Lord Jagannath is worshipped along with His brother Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra. Car Festival commemorates the annual visit of Lord Jagannath to the Gundicha Mata Temple.

Why Jagannath Rath Yatra is celebrated every year?

One of the tales is linked with King Subal who was a great devotee of Jagannath. Once he asked a sculptor to create Lord Krishna idol with his chariot at Kurukshetra along with his elder brother Balaram and sister Subhadra. The sculptor agreed to create idol but he wanted to remain in solitude in a room. The King agreed with the condition of the sculptor. After waiting long, the King in the anger opened the door of the room where the sculptor was working. Suddenly, the sculptor disappeared and the King could see were the deities. It is said that the three idols are same in the Rath Yatra in Puri that the King asked to create the sculptor.

Another story says that the Rath Yatra festival is associated with Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra in Dwarka. Once, eight wives of Krishna wanted to listen some divine tales related to Krishna and Gopi’s from mother Rohini. But mother was not willing to narrate the story. After long request she agreed but on the condition that Subhadra would guard the door so that no one overhears. While the stories are being narrated by Rohini mother, Subhadra was got so in captivated that meantime Lord Krishna and Balaram arrived at the doorway and Subhadra stopped them by standing in between them with her hands wide apart. That time sage Narad arrived and saw three siblings together he prayed for the three of them to give their blessings in this way forever. The Gods granted Narad’s wish and so, Lord Krishna, Subhadra and Balaram reside in Puri’s Jagannath temple eternally.

Another story is associated with the King Indrayumna, who was to be quite virtuous. Once the king went to the Nilanchal mountain due to the disappointment that there were no ideals of Lord Vishnu because it was taken by the Gods. Then, a divine intervention in the heaven announced that he will be incarnated in the form of stone or wood as Jagannath. And so to please his devotees he came back in the form of wood.

Procession

• The three idols are taken from Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha temple. These idols are placed in the decorative chariots, accompanied by chants and conches, which can be heard all around.
• Before Rath Yatra, the idols are bathed with 109 buckets of water which is known as Snana Pornima.
• Till the day of procession, they are placed in isolation as it is believed that they are ill. This event is known as Ansara.
• On procession day, the holy ritual Chhera Phara is performed by the royal successor of Odisha. Various hordes of locals and devotees flock around the temple area.
• In Chehra Pahara ritual the King bring deities from the temple and are placed on the chariot.
• Before placing them, the King himself sweeps the chariot that has a gold handle. Later, he decorates the chariot with flowers. The ground on which the chariot will move is also cleaned by him and then sandalwood is sprinkled on it.
• This ritual shows that everyone is equal in the eyes of God.
• The three deities are placed in the aunt’s place the Gundicha Templa for a span of 9 days. Later, they are back to their home. The return journey of the three deities is termed as ‘Bahuda Yatra’.
• In the evening when deities reached the Jagannath temple wait outside the temple.
• On the next day, the idols are adorned with new clothes like babies and the ritual is known as Suna Vesa.
• After this day, the deities are placed again into the sanctum sanctorum, marking an end to the Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri.

Jagannath Rath Yatra is celebrated by millions of devotees that came from across the world to seeks the blessings of God’s and fulfil their wishes. The atmosphere at the time of Rath Yatra is so pure and beautiful. Devotees with the chariots keep singing songs, mantras with the sound of drum beatings. Jagannath Rath Yatra is also famous as Gundicha Yatra, Chariot Festival, Dasavatara and Navadina Yatra.