Ratha Yatra – A Journey of Faith

Jagannathdham,Puri is the ultimate destination of pilgrims. Rath Yatra features a lot of importance in Hinduism. This is organized from the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. According to the Hindu calendar, Rath Yatra takes place per annum on the second day of Shukla Paksha within the month of Ashadha.

This Rath Yatra of Puri may be a symbol of harmony, brotherhood and unity. Thousands of devotees come here from different corners of the country to require part during this yatra and obtain good luck by pulling the chariot of the Lord. It is said that whoever participates within the Rath Yatra, gets all types of happiness and prosperity.
The nine day annual grandeur: RATHA YATRA is known to attract millions of devotees from across the globe to Puri Dham of Lord Jagannath.Procession of the architectural marvels of the three chariots –The Nandighosha of Sri Jaganath,The Darpadalana of Devi Shubhadra and The Taladhwaja of Lord Balabhadra would have been pulled by millions from badadanda/the grand road to Gundicha temple.
The three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Lord Subhdra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for an equivalent. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts within the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri then transported by road. The three chariots are decorated as per the unique scheme prescribed and followed for centuries stand on the Bada Danda, the Grand Avenue. The chariots are lined across the wide avenue ahead of the temple on the brink of its eastern entrance, which is additionally referred to as the Sinhadwara or the Lion’s Gate.Around each of the chariots are nine Parsva devatas, painted wooden images representing different deities on the chariots’ sides. Each chariot features a charioteer (Sarathi) and 4 horses.
In the current time, not more than 500 persons including temple officers and police.The complete Mahostav was live streamed across national media for the devotes to observe all the rituals.With devotees barred from taking part in the festivities owing to the pandemic for the second successive year and the supreme court upholding the state government’s ban on conducting the rath yatra anywhere other than puri.However, while usually tourists throng the temple premises during the festival, this year, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, no devotees were allowed during the much awaited Rath Yatra, whilst Lord Jagannath is that the one among the principal deities within the state of Odisha. Moreover, the chariot pullers who participated within the procession are tested negative for COVID-19 with the assistance of an RT-PCT test, and have also been fully vaccinated, the officials said. Apart from this, the Lord Jagannath Temple administration in Puri said that about 1,000 officials, aside from police personnel, were deployed.