“Rath Yatra” also known as The Chariot Festival, with “Rath” meaning chariot and “Yatra” meaning a journey, is one out of the numerous varied and spectacular festivals celebrated in India. The colourful Hindu festival held every year in Puri, in the state of Odisha , eastern India, around the months of June or July attracts over a million pilgrims from India and other parts of the world alike.
The festival is a symbolic representation of Lord Jagannath’s yearly childhood journey on chariots or “rath, along with his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple, believed to be his birthplace. Lord Jagannath is said to be an “avatar” or an incarnation of Lord Krishna and hence also Lord Vishnu. Devotees in large numbers from different parts of the globe gather, escorting the chariot, some singing hymns, some beating the “telingini baja” and “ghanta”, some blowing the “kahali” and some with the hopes of getting the chance to pull the chariots which they consider to be propitious.
Chandan Yatra
The advent of the Rath festival begins with the people gearing up for the “Chandan Yatra” or the Sandalwood festival, where the Deities are worshipped with water mixed with sandalwood paste, scents and flowers. This day marks the beginning of the new agriculture season and the farmers plough their fields.
This also marks the onset of the construction of the chariots for the “Ratha Yatra”. The construction of the chariots starts on the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha known as the “Akshaya Tritiya” with a ritual worshipping the fire. This fire worship ritual takes place in front of the King’s palace just opposite the main office of the Purl temple. The “Chandan Yatra” is performed in two parts namely the “Bahara Chandana “ , “ rituals outside the temple and the “Bhitara Chandana”, rituals inside the temple , each lasting for twenty one days. The “Chandan Yatra” observed before the “Rath Yatra” is the “Bahara Chandana Yatra”.
In this Car festival, the representative images of the main “Deities” and the five Shivas or the “Pancha Pandavas namely Lokanatha, Jameswar, Markandaya, Kapala Mochana and Nilakantha are placed on two beautifully decorated boats called “Nanda” and “Bhadra” and are taken on a boat ride from the Jagannath Temple to the “Narendra Tank” also known as the “Chandan Pokhari”.
The Deities are placed on one boat and the “Panch Pandavas” on the other. This way the Deities are taken on an evening excursion everyday for twenty one days, accompanied by devotees singing hymns. Thousands of worshippers throng to observe this and to offer their prayers. The “Chandan Yatra” concludes with the “Snana Yatra”, one out of the six main events of the Puri Rath Yatra.
The Six Main Events of The Rath Yatra
The festival comprises of six main events namely the “Snana Yatra” , “Sri Gundicha” , “ Bahuda Yatra” , “Suna Besha” ,” Adhara Pana” and Niladri Bije.
- Snana Yatra or the Bathing Festival consists of bathing of the Deities on the full moon day of Jestha, with a hundred and eight pots of water when the heat is at its peak, post which the Deities fall ill for a fortnight. They are then kept in the infirmary or “anasa ghar” being treated with a number of ayurvedic remedies and ritual.
During this period of illness the general populace is prohibited from viewing the Deities, which are hidden with a bamboo screen holding traditional Odia paintings on starch stiffened cloth known as “Anasara Pattis. The beginning of the “Rath Yatra” is marked by the renewal of youth of the Deities or the “Nava Jaubana” therefore officially ceasing the period of illness, which is a day before the conveying of the Deities, out from the main temple.
The Deities are thus freshly painted and prepared for public reappearance which is called the “Nava Jaubana Darshana”. After recovery it is believed that Lord Jagannath desires to eat meals prepared by his aunt Gundicha who lives two miles from his temple, the Jagannath Temple also known as Srimandir . He decides to step on his chariot towards the Gundicha Temple, therefore starting the ten days festival of Jagannath Rath Yatra.
- Sri Gundicha The much awaited Journey begins. This ritual befalls on the “dwitiya” meaning the second day of the “sukhla pakhsya”, which is the waxing cycle of the moon of the third month in the Lunar Calendar, the “Ashadha Maasa”. On this day the Deities of the Lord Jagannath along with his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Devi Subhadra are carried out of the main shrine of the Jagannath Temple and installed in the chariots. This process of transferring the Deities from the temple to the chariot is called “Pahanandi”.
Pahanandi starts with an elaborate ritual which shows the worshippers beating the brass-zinc gong with a baton, drums and blowing trumpets in rhythmic patterns. First, the “Sudarshan Chakra” (the heavenly wheel) of Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu is carried and placed in Devi Subhadra’s chariot namely Darpadalana. This is followed by carrying Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath into their respective chariots, “Taladhwaja” being Lord Balabhadra’s and “Nandighosa” being Lord Jagannath’s chariot.
After this, the King of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja performs the “Chhera Pahanra” or the cleaning of the chariots. The Maharaja on being informed by a messenger arrives at the Grand Avenue also known as the “bada danda” in a silver palanquin accompanied by a small procession and an elephant. He climbs each chariot, sweeps the platform with a golden broom offering his prayers along with flowers and scented water. The chariot now proceeds, starting the journey towards the Gundicha Temple.
The last ritual is the pulling of the chariots, first the chariot of Devi Subhadra followed by that of Lord Balabhadra and lastly Lord Jagannath. Thousands of followers eagerly and enthusiastically wait for their turns to pull the chariots which they call a holy experience. On arrival, the Deities are carried and positioned on the Golden Throne or the “Ratna Simhasana” in the Gundicha Temple, where they remain for nine days.
- Bahuda Yatra or Punar Yatra is the grand return journey of the Deities on their chariots, back to the Jagannath Temple or the Srimandir. On their journey back they halt at the “Mausi Maa” (maternal aunt) Temple where they are offered the “Poda Pitha” which is a widely loved sweet dish in Odisha, also considered to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite. The“Mausi Maa” Temple is located in the middle of the “Bada Danda”. According to the Hindu religious text “Skanda Purana” , “Mausi Maa” also called Ardhashosini drank half of the sea water flooding Puri thereby saving Lord Jagannath’s home.
- Suna Besha. Inferential to the name, “Suna” meaning gold and “Besha” meaning costume, “Suna Besha” refers to the adorning of the Deities with gold jewellery. This occurs on the day the chariots reach the Jagannath Temple after the Rath Yatra. All three Deities are flaunted wearing gold ornaments on the chariots parked at the “Singhadwara”, the Lion’s gate, with gold plates surrounding the hand and feet of the Lords Balabhadra and Jagannath. Lord Jagannath is seen with a gold disc on his right hand and a silver conch on his left whereas Lord Balabhadra is seen with a gold plough on his left hand and a golden mace on his right.
- Adhara Pana. The day after the “Suna Besha” , enormous terracotta pots filled with a sweet drink namely “Adhara Pana”, “adhara” referring to lips and “pana” meaning juice, are offered to the Deities on the chariots.
The pots containing the “Adhara Pana” a concoction of milk cream, cheese, sugar, fruits such as bananas, dried fruits such as nutmegs, camphor and spices such as black pepper are reached up to the lips of the Deities and then smashed to break with a belief of releasing the spirits or souls dwelling in the chariots, thus helping them attain salvation.
This drink is not meant for the devotees or the “bhakts” but only for the “Rath Rakhyak”, in other words, the Gods and Goddesses guarding the chariots during the “Rath Yatra”.
- Niladri Bije is a ceremony that consists of the return of the Deities to the main shrine of the “Jagannath” Temple or the “Srimandir”. The Deities are reinstalled into the “Ratna Singhasana” by a procession called the “Goti Pahandi”.
“Niladri Bije” also goes by the name “Rasgulla” day in Odisha. Why? It is believed that Goddess Laxmi refused to let Lord Jagannath enter the temple as she was angry with him for leaving her behind and not making her a part of the journey. After numerous attempts to appease her, Lord Jagannath was finally successful in calming her down by offering her an Odia sweet known as “Rasgulla”. Goddess Laxmi holds a ceremony to welcome Lord Jagannath. This occasion is called “Laxminarayan Bheta”.
The Chariots of the Gods
The three chariots of the Lord Jagannath , Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are named the “Nandighosa”, “Taladhwaja” and “Darpadalana” respectively. Each year, new chariots are built out of woods of the phassi and dhausa trees specifically. The woods are procured by a special group of carpenters owning hereditary rights, from the state of Dasapalla via the Mahanadi a river by setting them afloat as rafts. The logs are assembled near Puri and then delivered by road.
The chariots are richly decorated with bright coloured cloths forming a canopy over them. The colours mainly used are yellow, gold, red, green and blue. Nine “parsva devatas” or subsidiary gods and painted wooden images that represent the deities are placed around and on the sides of each chariot accordingly.
The chariots are attached to four horses each, the dark ones to Lord Balabhadra’s chariot, the red ones to Devi Subhadra’s chariot and the white ones to Lord Jagannath’s chariot. Each chariot has a “Sarathi” or a chariot driver. Daruka is Lord Jagannath’s charioteer, Matali is Lord Balabhadra’s charioteer and Arjuna is Devi Subhadra’s charioteer.
- Nandighosh
This is Lord Jagannath’s chariot standing forty five feet tall and forty five square feet at the level of the wheel. Nandighosa is also known by the names Garudadhwaja and Kapidhwaja. It consists of sixteen wheels, each having a diameter of seven feet. A total of eight hundred and thirty two wooden pieces are used to build this.
It is wrapped in red and yellow cloth. Since Lord Jagannath is also known as an “avatar” of Krishna who in turn was known as Pitambara meaning the one wearing yellow robe, the yellow coloured stripes on his canopy is representative of this lore.
This chariot holding “Trailokyamohini’ flag is accompanied by Madanmohan , guarded by Garuda ,charioted by Daruka and attached to the horses Shankha, Balahaka, Suwekha and Haridashwa. The rope utilized to pull this chariot is known as the Sankhachuda Naguni. The nine deities around the chariot are Panchamukhi Mahabir, Harihara, Madhusudana, Giri Goverdhan dhari, Pandu Narasingha, Chitamani Krishna, Narayana, Chatra Bhanga Rabana and Rama with Hanuman.
- Taladhwaja
This is Lord Balabhadra’s chariot standing forty four feet tall. A total of seven hundred and sixty three wooden pieces are used to build this. It consists of fourteen wheels, each having a diameter of seven feet. It is wrapped in red and bluish green cloth.
This chariot holding the Unnani flag with a picture of a Palm Tree is accompanied by Ramakrishna, guarded by Basudev, charioted by Matali and attached to the horses Tribra, Ghora, Dirghasharma and Swornanava . The rope utilized to pull this chariot is known as the Basuki Naga. The nine deities around the chariot are Ganesh, Kartikeya, Sarvamangala, Pralambari, Halayudha, Mrityyunjaya, Natamvara, Mukteswar and Sheshadeva.
- Darpadalana
This is Devi Subhadra’s chariot standing forty three (43) feet tall. The name Darpadalana means “trampler of pride”. It consists of twelve wheel, each having a diameter of seven feet. A total of five hundred and ninety three wooden pieces are used to build this.
It is wrapped in red and black cloth, the black cloth indicating “Shakti” or power and the Mother Goddess. This chariot holding the Nadambika flag is accompanied by Sudarshana, guarded by Jayadurga, charioted by Arjuna and attached to the horses Rochika, Mochika, Jita and Aparajita.
The rope utilized to pull this chariot is known as the Swarnachuda Naguni. The nine deities around the chariot are Chandi, Chamunda, Ugratara, Banadurga, Shulidurga, Varahi, Shyamakali, Mangala and Vimala.
Uncertainty looms over the Rath Yatra celebration this year due to the current health scare given to the contagious nature of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rath Yatra 2020 was scheduled to start from the 23rd of June but due to the pandemic causing the entire world to go on a lockdown, the Centre has left the decision making to the State Government, however allowing the construction of the chariots.
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